Today, I conquered a huge fear of mine and donated blood!
I’ve known that my blood type was “O Negative” and that I was a universal donor
for a long time, but I made every excuse in the book as to why I wouldn’t
donated (I hate needles, I’ll pass out, there’s plenty of other people that will
donate, etc, etc). So when I received the blood drive email at work a few weeks
ago I was quick to delete it, but later had a change of heart.
The American Red Cross declared January as National Volunteer Blood Donor Month to raise awareness of the impact winter weather can
have on blood donation opportunities. Since January 1st, forced cancellations of
blood drives due to winter weather created a loss of more than 20,000 donations
across the country. And, only 7% of people in the US have the universal donor
blood type! My heartstrings were pulled
even further when I thought of my family members that have been hospitalized;
what if they had needed blood? Every day donors are stepping up to the plate to
give life, so I knew it was my turn to step up!
I’m a believer in the power of creating positive
attitudes through actions, so I made sure I wore a red shirt today and I sang
my “Type O Song” to pump myself up… Oooo, O, O, O, Oooo, Oooo (it’s to the tune
of Seven Nation Army by The White Stripes). Before I knew it, it was time to
donate! The Red Cross staff went above
and beyond to provide comfort and a relaxing environment during my appointment.
I’m being completely honest here, my donation experience was challenging on my
body, but the Red Cross staff was extremely caring and attentive to my needs. I
know this sounds cliché, but it’s so true—knowing that my donation could save
lives made this experience gratifying. The pint of blood I donated today could
save up to 3 lives!
The need for blood is urgent and I encourage you to
consider donating :)
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