Giving blood is important. When donating blood, you are saving a potential life. More than 4.5 million patients in the US need blood transfusions each year.

“I had a blood transfusion after my surgery about two months ago, because I had started to loose blood two days after,” said Graduate, Asha Hussein. “The blood really helped, and I regained a lot of my energy. It also helped with the pain and healing afterwards.“

This November, like every school year, will be the Annual Blood Drive. Students will be given the opportunity to give and donate blood.

“The main thing I like to get out, before someone decides to donate blood, is to make sure they are healthy. You would not believe how many kids pass out every year, because they’re not hydrated,” said school nurse, Tina Twarek.

Only 37 percent of the US population is eligible to give blood. Less than 10 percent do. It’s extremely important, to take part in blood drives and donations.

“It’s not that their blood will be bad, if they don’t eat right. But it’ll be hard on their body, because it takes four days to recover from donating just a pint of blood,” said Twarek. “That’s why we stress eating healthy and staying hydrated before and after giving blood.”

Eating right, and getting the rest your body needs is key in preparing for donating.