Agoura High hosts blood drive

Students at Agoura High School recently demonstrated that they care for those in need when 127 volunteered to donate blood for Ryan Hamilton-Brown, a student battling AML-type leukemia.

The blood drive was organized by students Harper Smith and Veronica Rodarte after Agoura High School teacher Laura Hamilton, who’s Ryan’s aunt, told about his predicament.

UCLA’s blood and platelet center conducted the drive at the school where lines of eager students were waiting to give blood to help Ryan.

Of the 109 total usable units of blood collected, 76 were CMV-negative (an uncommon type necessary to battle this disease) and 10 units were B-plus CMV-negative, an exact match for Ryan.

Twenty-four units of O-positive and five units of O-negative were donated, which will be used to help other gravely ill children.

Ira Klein, the school’s commissioner of public relations, said the success of this blood drive illustrates how much high school students care and are willing to donate not only blood but time and—most importantly—hope to those in need.