Mississippi College Hosts First Blood Drive of 2014

Mississippi College graduate student Ambrenana Thompson, 24, of Gulfport makes a donation in a Mississippi Blood Services drive on the Clinton campus. The two-day drive ends January 22.

Chilly temperatures along with gusty winds didn’t deter Mississippi College students from giving the gift of life.

MC graduate student Ambrenana Thompson was among the first 10 MC blood donors during the initial drive of the new year on the Clinton campus.

“It is important to save lives,” says Thompson, 24, a Gulfport resident taking part in the Mississippi Blood Services campaign on Tuesday January 21.

A biology-medical sciences student making plans to earn an MBA and then go to medical school, Thompson is a frequent blood donor. So are other members of her family. The 2012 William Carey University graduate hopes to become a cardiovascular surgeon. Giving blood is a good fit with her career plans.

Tammy Bouchillon, senior marketing representative with Flowood-based Mississippi Blood Services, says she appreciates the students giving blood despite the big chill gripping the South.

Statewide, there’s a major blood shortage this winter, she said.

“We are still rebounding from the holiday shortage,” Bouchillon said as the blood drive continued into the afternoon hours at an MBS bus parked near Provine Chapel. Frigid weather in the region in recent weeks has slowed blood donations.

Blood drives truly save lives. A cardiovascular surgery patient typically requires 25 units of blood. Cancer patients require up to eight units of blood per week. People badly injured in automobile accidents often require 50 units of blood, according to MBS officials.

Founded in 1979, Mississippi Blood Services supplies blood and blood products to 49 hospitals statewide. In addition, MBS supplies blood to hospitals in Alabama, Arkansas and Tennessee.

The newest Mississippi College blood drive will wrap up Wednesday January 22 at 5 p.m. All donors will receive free MBS T-shirts.

MBS staffers will return to the Clinton campus for the Christian university’s second drive of 2014 at the Hederman Science Building lobby on February 13-14. The event will be sponsored by the Mississippi College chapter of the American Society of Microbiologists.

For more information, call 888.90.BLOOD or go to www.msblood.com.