All for a Good Cause

By: Rachel Masselle '14
After working in admissions for four and a half hours on Thursday I left to head to the campus center to donate blood. My appointment had been at 1 o’clock, but I was running late because I had taken a prospective student and her family to the campus center for lunch. When I arrived I gave my name and they said they would try to squeeze me in. They instructed me to take a seat and read over a blue book they had given me.

I did as I was told, but I have to say that I could barely concentrate on the blue book. I was so nervous, but not because of the needles. I have had too many needles in my life to be nervous of them any longer. No, I was nervous because I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel afterwards. I really didn’t want to faint or get nauseas in front of everyone. To calm my nerves I, of course, started talking to all the people around me.

One of them was my friend Jessie, who I found out was deathly afraid of needles. Although I will not divulge why she rises above her fear (that is after all Jessie’s to tell and not mine) I do want my readers to know that she is an absolutely amazing and inspirational person to do what she does. After some conversation I promised her that while we were giving blood I would sing songs to her to distract her from the needle.

We were both called back and went through the normal screening process. I gave them my name, birth date, address, etc. Then they took my pulse and temperature. Everything seemed fine, until the finger prick. The finger prick is meant to test your iron level. In order to donate blood you have to have a 12.5 iron level. They pricked my finger twice and in both instances I was under the requirement. I was disappointed to find out that I couldn’t give blood that day.


The nurse gave me a letter that instructed me to eat iron rich foods such as spinach, beef, and iron rich cereal. Can I just say, as a side note, to any first time blood donors that it is VERY important to get your iron in you before you go to donate blood. Believe me when I say nothing is worse than getting your finger pricked, which is the worst part of the entire thing, and not be able to actually donate. Moral of the story: eat your iron!

Anyway, after I was deferred I was heading out of the Tifft Lounge when I saw Jessie getting ready to give blood. After giving her my sad news I kept my promise. The whole time she was giving blood I was singing songs like “Bad Romance”, “Poker Face”, and “Tik Tok”. Not only was I singing, but since I didn’t have the restraint of having to lie down on a cot I started dancing as well. The entire place, nurses, patients, and volunteers, were looking at me like I had completely lost my mind. Maybe I have. At any rate it made Jessie laugh and relax while the needle was in her and even though I made a complete fool of myself it was worth it in the end.
I’m not sure what they all thought of me when all was said and done, but ah well. It doesn’t really matter. It was all for a good cause.