Running a marathon was something Lacey Morgan wanted to do for a long time. As a GW Nursing student, Lacey had the opportunity to visit Inova Blood Donor Services. It was during this visit that she realized the critical need for blood donation and decided to raise money for the cause. She created the team “Runners for Red Cells” and, with two other GW Nursing students, Christy Phillips and Ali Daniels, raised money to assist Inova Blood Donor Services in purchasing special equipment, and began training for the Marine Corps marathon.
In addition to the 13 standard screening tests now administered during blood donation, the new Olympus AU-680 machine will screen for the presence of diabetes, high cholesterol, and other key indicators of heart disease. The additional tests would be offered to donors as a free service with the goal of detecting these chronic diseases early.
Lacey successfully finished the Marine Corps marathon in October and raised the necessary funds for the value-added testing equipment. “I think it is important for nursing students to learn about the great resources available around their school and to become advocates for their community” said Lacey. “This experience was a way for me to train for something I have wanted to do for a long time and to raise money for a great cause.”
Inova Blood Donor Services is responsible for providing 90 percent of the blood and blood products in the greater DC metro area. Approximately 136 units of blood have been donated through six blood donor drives hosted at the GW Virginia Science and Technology Campus, helping up to 400 patients in local hospitals.
The GW Virginia Science and Technology Campus will be hosting another blood donor drive on Tuesday, January 11, from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. Please consider donating as less than 38% of our local population is currently eligible to donate blood. Long sleeved t-shirts will be given to those who complete the screening process. For more information call 1-866-BLOODSAVES (1-866-256-6372).