Franklin Teens to Hold Veterans Day Blood Drive

How long does it take to donate a whole gallon of blood? Just ask twin sisters Giovanna and Olivia Sabini-Leite, Franklin High School National Honor Society students who’ve recently reached that milestone. The two teens are organizing their first blood drive, with the help of the Franklin Knights of Columbus, on November 11, from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m., behind the Benjamin Franklin Classical Charter School, to benefit Boston Children’s Hospital. They hope to encourage other local teens to consider blood donation, something teens can do with parents’ permission, at age 16.
“Franklin has a huge population of kids,” says Olivia, who says the project is part of the girls’ National Honor Society Project. “We’re hoping we can demystify blood donation. It’s not scary. It doesn’t hurt as much as you think it will, and the reward, giving someone else the opportunity to live – is just very powerful, knowing you’re doing this for someone else.”
Olivia and Giovanna thought of the idea for the blood drive when they noticed they were the only ones around their age being honored by Boston Children’s Hospital for achieving a gallon each in blood donation.
“We went to a recognition dinner,” says Giovanna, and it was really special because we heard a donor speak and a recipient speaking who had a rare disease where she had to have blood transfusions frequently.”
“What surprised me and Giovanna were there were very few people our age,” says Olivia. “There were 20- and 30-year-olds, but nobody as young as us.” She adds that young, healthy people have healthy blood to donate.
“We want to foster the idea of being a lifelong donor,” says Giovanna.
The two sisters began their journey as blood donors when Giovanna, who developed scoliosis – as had a number of members of her Mom’s family – needed a spinal fusion at age 12. Giovanna was encouraged to self-donate for the process, and at that time, she found out that her blood (and her identical twin, Olivia’s) type was O-negative, the universal donor.
“Anyone with any type of blood type can take O-negative,” says Giovanna, “Although they always need all kinds of blood. They prefer to give the same blood type to the child.”
Once they were both 16, both twins began donating.
“I guess I just felt like this need to give back to Children’s Hospital,” says Olivia. “I just did it as a way to give back to the hospital that did so many things for my family.”
The twins give a whole blood donation every two months, although donors can choose different types of donations, such as plasma, double red cell and platelet donation.
When it came to planning a blood drive of their own, then, the Sabini-Leite sisters didn’t hesitate to arrange for Boston Children’s Hospital’s Blood Mobile to come to Franklin.
The two sisters are pros at blood donation at this point. They have a few words of wisdom they’ve amassed over their couple of years of blood donation that they would like to give the young people they’re encouraging to donate.
“You definitely have to hydrate, so it’s easier,” says Giovanna. “We take iron, which is especially important for women. For Children’s Hospital, you have to have more than 12.5 grams of iron. They test you before you go in, so we eat a lot of beans, spinach and eggs, that all contain iron.”
“Don’t be afraid,” says Olivia. “It will hurt when they put the needle in, I won’t lie, but the pain is minimal compared to what you’re doing for someone else. You’re giving them a chance to live.” The twins’ Mom, Kelly, points out that nowadays, thanks to technology, blood donation is quick and easy. It also helps that Boston Children’s Hospital staff are accustomed to being particularly gentle, working with children, say the sisters.
“The blood donation is very quick,” says Olivia. “The actual process of donating takes about seven minutes.”
“There’s no substitute for blood. It can’t be made in a lab,” says Giovanna. “For a person who needs blood, they need somebody else.”
For this Veterans Day, if you would like to help save a life, you can register for the Franklin blood drive to take place at the Benjamin Franklin Classical Charter School, 201 Main Street, Franklin, from 9 a.m.- 2 p.m. at www.halfpints.childrenshospital.org, or contact Giovanna and Olivia at (508) 541-1253, or giovannasylvia@hotmail.com, or oliviasabini@hotmail.com, for more information and to sign up. Walk-ins are accepted, but appointments are preferred.