By Eilene E. Guy, Red Cross volunteer

One of the key activities of the American Red Cross is collecting, testing and distributing blood for trauma victims, cancer and sickle cell “warriors” and others in need of critical treatment.

Phlebotomists – the men and women who skillfully slide needles into arms – are vital connections between our blood donors and those who need lifesaving transfusions.

This week, the Red Cross salutes its 5,500 team members across the country who collect nearly 2.5 million blood and platelet donations each year.

If you have trouble wrapping your mind around the word “phlebotomist,” just relax and picture Safeyyah Edwards in her deep red and black scrubs, gently but efficiently preparing a donor for their “pinch.”

Safeyyah has been drawing blood for 23 years for the Red Cross and she values the donor/friends she’s made at the Cleveland blood, platelet and plasma donation center.

“We refer to them as ‘my donor.’ They become like family. We hear their stories, we hear why they donate; we see pictures of their kids, events in their lives.”

“Phlebotomists help people help people,” Safeyyah says, referring to the fact that trained professionals like her make it possible for donors to give the gift of life, mostly for people they don’t even know.

“I am just in awe,” she says respectfully. “Some people are just terrified when they come for the first time, but they want to donate; they want to save lives.

“We do have good people out there.”

Every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood. As the provider of nearly half of the nation’s blood supply, the Red Cross relies on phlebotomists to help fill that need. They strive to give volunteer donors a safe and positive experience while ensuring that blood is collected properly for the safety of recipients.

Safeyyah and her fellow professionals – You wouldn’t want to trust a blood draw or transfusion needle to an amateur, would you? – are especially crucial at a time like this: Seasonal illnesses and extreme weather events have cancelled hundreds of blood drives, leading to a nationwide blood emergency.

In the 31 counties of the northern Ohio region, the Red Cross needs to collect some 500 donations a week to meet the needs of more than 70 local hospitals.

To make an appointment to donate at a Red Cross blood drive near you, go online to redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

And if you’re interested in a rewarding role in the medical field, the Red Cross offers training to become a certified phlebotomist. Learn about the variety of career opportunities in blood collection here.