Earlier this semester, the NC Chapter of Alpha Zeta was
asked to participate in an apheresis drive, called the SMACKDOWN
competition. We were notified this week
that we won the competition (which was against 7 other fraternities) and we
were given a shiny new trophy!
Apheresis
is a special donation process in which blood donors give only a certain part of
their blood. During the donation, blood
is drawn from one arm and channeled through a tube kit. Then, the blood spins in a centrifuge to
separate the platelets from other blood components. The platelets are collected, and the blood is
returned to the donor.
Why donate
platelets? They are essential to normal
blood clotting and may be used by patients receiving transplants. Patients fighting cancer may also require
platelet transfusions because most chemotherapy drugs affect cells in bone
marrow.
Our chapter
is proud to have our name on the trophy, and we are even happier about how many
lives we are helping through our donations.