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Upcoming blood drive

Andrea Baca, Reporter

SCCC will be having a blood drive in the student union from 9:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M. on Oct 12. To schedule an appointment please contact Frances Brown at 620-417-1300 or [email protected].

The American Red Cross is encouraging people that are eligible donors to donate blood for patients that are fighting cancer,liver disease and any other transplant patients with serious illnesses. More than 1.6 million people are expected to be diagnosed with cancer this year. Most people that are diagnosed with cancer will need blood for chemotherapy treatment.

October is Liver and Breast Cancer Awareness Month. National Breast Cancer Awareness Month promotes awareness for breast cancer issues and has also evolved with the national dialogue on breast cancer. NBCAM celebrated its 30th anniversary and they continue to educate and encourage women to take charge of their own breast health. The third Friday in October each year is National Mammography Day. It was first proclaimed by President Bill Clinton in 1993 and this year it will be celebrated on Oct. 21.

Liver Awareness Month is devoted to the importance of the liver. It gives people the opportunity to focus on the importance of the role the liver has in our lives. It also supports different types of liver diseases such as the threats posed by obesity and having a fatty liver.

Last year there were more than 7,000 transplants performed in the U.S. Liver transplants are the second most common type of organ transplant performed. Each patient that undergoes a liver transplant may need more than 30 units of blood during their surgery. Each day the Red Cross has to collect 14,000 blood donations to help all current cancer and transplant patients.

There is no artificial substitute for blood. Every drop counts. Give blood today! Save time by using RapidPass to complete your pre-donation reading and health history online before you come to your appointment. Learn more at www.redcrossblood.org/RapidPass. For detailed donor eligibility questions, please call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or visit www.redcrossblood.org.