Are you too busy to give blood? Anxious about needles? Then Perth High School pupils have a message for you.
Many senior students gave blood for the first time during a special donor session at the school.
And they’ve now urged others to follow their lead and help save lives.
S6 pupils Ellen Hughes and Travis Davey were among those to roll up their sleeves.
Ellen said: “It was a lot easier than I thought it would be. I thought I might faint but I’m fine. And they gave me a KitKat!
“I feel like I’ve done something good.”
She intends to become a regular donor and recommended others do the same.
You have nothing to lose – just some blood and you will get that back!”
– Travis Davey, S6
Travis said he felt a little queasy afterwards but recovered quickly.
He said: “I feel proud because I’ve done something for other people.
“I would say if you are thinking about it go for it, it will be easier than you think. You have nothing to lose – just some blood and you will get that back!
“You never know when you are going to need a blood transfusion.”
That was exactly the situation for Perth High School languages teacher Graeme Dewar, who encouraged S6 students to take part in the session with the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service.
His wife Debbie was saved by a transfusion when she suffered a postpartum haemorrhage after the birth of their daughter Ailsa by emergency caesarean in March 2011.
He said: “I had never given blood before. I was guilty of doing what a lot of people do, saying ‘I’m too busy’ or ‘someone else will do it’.
“Then one day when I least expected it it was my wife [who needed a transfusion] and she owes her life to it.
“Since then I’ve felt a moral duty to give blood.”
Principal guidance teacher Gillian Shenton organised what was the fourth blood donor session at Perth High School.
She said: “This is something they [the pupils] might not have gone and done elsewhere, so we are giving them the opportunity to do something we hope they continue to do for the rest of their lives.
How to register to donate
“It also raises awareness among the younger pupils when they see their older peers giving blood.”
Perth High School students and staff were praised for their “amazing support” by Gwen Fenton, of the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service.
She said: “Prior to the pandemic, SNBTS ran a very successful schools programme which recruited over 3,000 S5 and S6 school pupils every year, but when schools had to switch to online learning, we greatly missed this support.
“This has become even more important as since the pandemic demand for blood has increased by 7% in Scotland.”
It aims to rebuild its school collection programme and is actively recruiting young blood donors via social media.
Blood donations can be given from the age of 17 by registering online or phoning 0345 90 90 999.
Conversation