Student Association and Rice EMS host Platelet Donation Drive

By Isaiah Hwang     2/23/21 11:25pm

Over the past weekend, Rice students participated in a platelet donation drive with the Houston Methodist Hospital. This project was organized by the Rice Student Association as well as the Rice Emergency Medical Services leadership. 

Anna Margaret Clyburn, the Student Association president, said that Houston Methodist’s leadership reached out to Rice’s leadership regarding a need for platelets on Feb. 17. After Rice’s Crisis Management Team reached out to Clyburn, she contacted REMS for their advice and support in coordinating the platelet donation drive. 

Sam Reddick, REMS captain, said that since platelets can only be stored for relatively short periods of time, any disruption in donations can be devastating to crucial hospital procedures. 

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“Unfortunately, the historic winter storms last week prevented many regular donations and began to deplete local hospital supplies,” Reddick, a Wiess College senior, said. 

While only around 40 people from the Rice community were asked to participate in donating platelets, according to Clyburn, 70 students committed to calling Houston Methodist to sign up for platelet donation between Wednesday evening and Thursday evening. 

“During this challenging time, Rice students really stepped up by volunteering their time and life-saving donations to support this local need in the medical center,” Reddick said. 

Clyburn also said she was proud of Rice’s student body for being willing to donate platelets to Houston Methodist upon such short notice.

“The fact that 70 people were willing to take time out of their day and give a part of themselves to others is astounding,” Clyburn said. “I couldn’t be more proud of our community.” 

Platelet donations are required throughout the year by most major hospitals in the Texas Medical Center, and healthy, eligible individuals are encouraged to regularly donate.

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