Dr. Charles Drew's Banked Blood

More than an inventor, Dr. Charles Drew was the first African American to create unique methods of storing blood plasma for transfusion and organized the first large-scale blood bank in the United States. Growing up the oldest out of his siblings, Drew was an athletic student that excelled in every sport he played. Since his father, a carpet layer, was not financially able to send him to college, Drew heavily relied on his athletic abilities to get him to Amherst College in 1926. After graduating with his bachelor’s degree, he found himself unable to afford medical school. Drew then began to work as a biology instructor and coach at Morgan State University. After saving up enough money, he decided to apply and enroll into McGill University in Montreal, Canada. He …show more content…
He continued to explore blood-related matters with his long time research partner, John Scudder. While there, he created a method for processing and preserving blood plasma, blood without cells. He discovered plasma last a lot longer than whole blood, making it possible to be store longer. Drew’s research provided the basis for his doctorate thesis, “Banked Blood”. Graduating from Columbia University with his doctorate degree, Dr. Charles Drew was the first African American to earn that specific degree from the university. During this time, World War II was erupting, leaving many injured in need of blood transfusions. His work started to become more prominent in the medical word, resulting in him being asked to help with the medical movement, “Blood for Britain”. His guidance helped the movement collect 14,500 pints of plasma from New York hospitals to be shipped overseas to Britain soldiers. After his great success, Drew decided to join the Red Cross in 1941to help collect blood for injured soldiers. While there, he started to learn about their policies that he did not agree