For the past few years, few things have been more important to second-year Texans Cheerleader Andrea than being a regular blood donor with the Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center.
"Typically, I come and I donate once every quarter or whenever I'm eligible," she said. "Once you donate, you're usually eligible the next month or sometime after that, so I usually come and try and give whenever I'm eligible."
{QUOTE}The 21-year-old learned the importance of donating blood at a young age from her father, who passed away several years ago.
"Whenever I was little, my sister and I would always come to the blood donor centers with my dad and he would always give us his cookies and his drinks and stuff like that," she said. "I feel like it helps me become closer to him sometimes. Each pint of blood that you give you can save up to three lives, so hopefully I'm saving some lives and doing something good. I'm very passionate about it."
Andrea offered some expert advice on donating, which included eating hearty meals and drinking fluids to stay hydrated before and after giving blood.
"Most people might be a little bit afraid of giving blood; they're scared of needles," she said. "But it feels like a mosquito bite, typically, and it might take less than an hour depending on whether you give whole blood or plasma or whatever you decide to do that day. But just keep in mind, you save three lives with each donation that you make, so it's a good cause and you should always come out and help!"
To visit the Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center website and find out how you can Commit for Life, **click here**.
