February is a great time of year to schedule a blood drive. Why February? Because it coincides with American Heart Month, recognized nationally by the AHA, CDC, and NHLBI. During the month of February, the Department of Biomedical Engineering hosts an annual event called Miami Heart Day Symposium. The goal of the Heart Day Symposium is to bring awareness to cardiovascular health and to gather cardiovascular researchers from across South Florida to learn from each other and discuss current research and lingering challenges in cardiovascular medicine.
A highlight and essential part of the symposium is the opportunity to donate blood through our partnership with Oneblood, which facilitates the Big Red Bus for on-site donations. Donating blood is all about giving someone another chance at life. The symposium serves as a platform to encourage staff and volunteers to help save lives. Oneblood’s mobile unit comes right out to our campus, making the process of donating easy and not intrusive.
We are so ever grateful to the symposium participants who took the time to donate blood. The blood drive resulted in 24 units of blood. What is important to realize is that each donation can save up to three lives. Ultimately, that means 72 patients could benefit from the lifesaving efforts of blood donors during The Heart Day Symposium at FIU.
According to Oneblood, the blood donated during the Heart Day blood drive will likely be transfused into a patient within 48 to 72 hours. The turnaround is that fast, and it is that constant. We look forward to working with Oneblood once again next year during our annual Heart Day Symposium event. Our sincere thanks to Oneblood for their partnership and for their dedication and commitment to their lifesaving mission.
