Senior Fights Blood Shortage by Organizing Hutchison Blood Drive

Eleanor Merchant '23 is passionate about the sciences and aspires to work in the medical field one day. She decided she didn't have to wait until she graduates from Hutchison to have an impact on the Memphis community. There has been a critically low blood supply since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and she stepped up to the plate(lets) to help ease the stress that local hospitals are facing by organizing a blood drive. 

Through a partnership with the American Red Cross, Hutchison held blood drives in April 2022 and January 2023. Upper school students, parents, and faculty joined in Eleanor's efforts to save lives and rolled up their sleeves to donate blood. Eleanor's goal this year was to save as many as 80 lives. With the help of the Hutchison community, blood donations from January's blood drive could save as many as 114 lives. Combined with April's total, blood donations from Hutchison community members could save as many as 192 lives.

Eleanor has been thrilled by the participation of our school community and the subsequent results of the blood drives. She added, “By partnering with the Red Cross to aid them in curbing the national blood shortage, we are able to help hospitals in our Memphis community as they face the ever-growing number of patients that need blood transfusions. Now, more than ever, it is important to give blood and give back!”

We are proud of how Eleanor has been working with the American Red Cross of Tennessee to bring the blood drive to the school and encouraging the Hutchison community to rally around a common cause and save lives. The blood drive's success has been featured on WREG News Channel 3. Eleanor has also been celebrated as a Bright Spot in the Memphis community.