Donating blood has always crossed my mind. But when the time came around to commit to the deed, I would totally panic. See, I'm completely TERRIFIED of needles, and the mere thought of blood makes me light headed. I admire those who have the guts donate, just never believed I could be a donor.
Until....
Someone very close to me battled a rotten disease. Treatment required multiple blood transfusions and bags of plasma.
One day I expressed, "I don't know how you do it. I couldn't. I hate needles."
She replied, "I do, too."
In that moment, I realized something. Nobody particularly enjoys being poked and prodded. But the fact of the matter-- blood is important. It's precious. It's in short supply. And fear prevents perfectly qualified donors from offering up their arm. Perfectly qualified donors like me.
In honor of my dear friend, I plan to put my excuses to the side and donate already-- as much as I can and as frequently as I can.
This great life sometimes doesn't seem so great. Disease doesn't discriminate, and good people get sick. Good people who count on others to save them. YOU can SAVE them.
Maybe you're afraid. But so are they. They just don't have a choice. You do. Choose to make a difference. Choose life, and join me on this life giving journey.
Facts from American Red Cross:
- 1 pint of blood can save up to 3 lives
- Every 2 seconds someone needs a blood transfusion
- 5 million patients in the US need blood every year
- Platelets, critical for cancer patients, have a shelf life of only 5 days
- Adults have around 10 pints of blood in their body. 1 pint is given during donation
- Donors can give blood every 56 days. Platelet donors can give every 7 days.
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