To help lend a helping hand, South’s Student Council members sponsored a blood drive through the American Red Cross last week. According to the American Red Cross, they are responsible for providing close to 40 percent of the nation’s blood supply.   

After recruiting donors through advisement classes, all donation time slots were filled up. 

Student athlete October Kochen, a senior at Omaha South, decided to donate blood after learning about the drive from a flyer in the hallway.   

Kocken said she donated because she “wanted money,” as a gift card was available to those who were willing to open a vein. This was also her first time having blood drawn. “It hurts at first, but as time passed by, you forget you even have a needle in you.”  

Hannah Bohacek is a nurse working for The American Red Cross and was at South to draw blood. Bohacek got into this profession by having a background in biology and doing some community work as well. 

 “I just always liked helping the community, and by having a background in biology, this pathway seemed right for me,” Bohacek added. 

 One thing that Bohacek does to ensure her patients are comfortable and safe during the donation process is to start conversations to get their minds off the blood draw. 

During a blood draw, Bohacek said the needle must puncture the vein to extract blood so when they have difficulty finding a vein, she said she tries to get help from other nurses, and if no one can find a vein, they resort to informing the patient that they are unable to donate and to try another day.  

Overall, the Omaha South blood donation was a successful event that provided valuable blood while promoting community involvement and awareness.