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During the time I was attending community college in 1986, at the age of twenty-eight, I decided to donate blood through the upcoming Red Cross Student Blood Drive. I was nervous, having heard that the needles were big and would leave a large puncture wound in my arm. I debated back and forth with myself as to whether it was a good idea to donate blood or not. I had also heard that that there was weakness, and sometimes dizziness, for several hours after blood was given (or taken depending on your perspective). But after some soul searching, I decided that with the Red Cross needing blood, I could be altruistic and donate right along with the students in their late teens and those who were young adults.

I laid down on one of the lawn chairs sat up in the student union and bared my arm. The red cross phlebotomy technician explained the process that would take place. Making sure I still wanted to give blood before tying the rubber tourniquet around my upper right arm, he had me tighten my fist, and began feeling around for the vein. I was surprised when the technician told me that she had to speak to her supervisor for a moment and asked me to wait. She returned around five minutes later and informed me that I could not donate blood and that she was sorry for the inconvenience. I thought maybe something in my medical history had deemed it impossible to give blood since I knew that various illnesses, medical conditions, and diseases could be passed on to someone who received a transfusion of contaminated blood or blood products.

I asked the phlebotomy technician outright what the reason was that I could not donate blood, telling her that I had no communicable disease, etc. or any genetic anomalies that I was aware of. The woman looked at me and shook her head with a smile before telling me that my blood was fine, in fact it was some of the best blood they had seen. The reason I would not be able to donate blood, then or in the future, was that my veins were too small for the size of the needles that were used to withdraw blood for a Red Cross Blood Drive and there was real potential for a phlebotomy technician to go through a vein, to be unable to find a good vein, and to withdraw enough blood. That explanation also helped me to understand why, at the doctor's office, the phlebotomy technician always used a child's butterfly needle to draw blood and why, during two hospital stays, a child's needle was also use for my IV.

Learn more about this author, Jerrie Lynn South-DeRose.
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