Buckeye Blood Club wants to know…what’s your type?

Elizabeth Scoone, Nathan Mader
Fri, 23 Feb 2024 02:24:20 +0000
Campus, Campus Multimedia, Events, Lantern TV, Multimedia, News, Online Exclusive, TV, Video, Web, black history month, blood, blood disorder, blood donation, Blood drive, Buckeye Blood Club, campus, donating, event, ITP, ohio state, Ohio state undergraduate black caucus, ohio union, valentine's day, Versiti Blood Center of Ohio, Volunteer

Buckeye Blood Club, Undergraduate Black Caucus and Versiti Blood Center of Ohio held a “What’s My Type” blood drive in the Ohio Union for students on Wednesday.

The event focused on raising awareness for the blood donation process while also celebrating Black History Month and Valentine’s Day. While many students may not think much of donating blood, for people like Morgan Kaiser, a second-year in neuroscience pre-med and intern for Buckeye Blood Club, it can be a very personal topic.

Kaiser found out she has ITP, a rare blood condition categorized by severely low platelets which can lead to easy bruising, internal bleeding, and other symptoms, after donating in the October 2023 Blood Battle. To boost her platelet levels she’s been treated with IVIGs which typically use the immunoglobulin from blood donors.

“It’s just kind of a crazy full-circle moment because the reason that I found out I even had it was through blood donation, and then the reason that I’m OK now is because of blood donation, because of other people, that IVIG treatment,” Kaiser said.