The Honors Cord program offered by South Texas Blood & Tissue Center encourages communities to donate blood by hosting blood drives at schools. Tivy High School, along with a roster of other schools in the area, hosts the program and helps bring in substantial donations.
The program incentivizes donations and recognizes significant contributions by rewarding students with a red cord.
Among all the regalia students receive at graduation ceremonies, recent Tivy graduate, Tinley Likin, was recognized at her graduation as one of only two students in the class to receive a red cord.
Likin comments on her feelings regarding the distinction, “I was so excited, only two of us in a class of around 300 kids? I felt pretty proud of myself for that.”
The feat is more impressive than when initially acknowledged. The qualifications to be a blood donor include being at least 16-years-old. This squeezes six donations across a high school career into the last two years for many students.
Likin was inspired to make the commitment to blood donation by her late grandfather, Andrew Kunz.
“My grandfather was an avid blood donor, donating every six weeks. I started donating blood to feel closer to him in a way. On my sixteenth birthday I heard about the program from my friends and signed up.” says Likin.
According to the STBTC, less than five percent of the eligible population donates blood. The STBTC website features a day-to-day blood level chart that shows which blood types are being donated. Every donation counts, some just more than others.
“If you’ve got O-type blood, that’s liquid gold,” notes Likin.
When a high school hosts a blood drive through STBTC, trained phlebotomists are brought in and a blood donation area is designated. Many times, a group of students are responsible for encouraging their peers to donate at the event.
Likin says, “I would just tell my friends to do it. It doesn’t hurt you in any way, only takes fifteen minutes and the professionals there walk you through every step. You get all the snacks and sweet drinks you want and a free t-shirt.”
Likin explains how being a blood donor has benefits beyond sugary snacks and free merchandise.
“You never know when you or a loved one could be in the position to receive blood. So just donate, be able to say that you did your part to help.”
More information on high school blood donation programs can be found by visiting www.biobridgeglobal.org/donors/blood-donation/students.