My father was an inspiration in my decision to give blood to others. I was absolutely floored when he told me that he has given over 20 gallons of his blood throughout his lifetime. I remember seeing how proud he felt on the days he'd arrive home with a new T-shirt in hand and a Band-Aid on his arm. I wanted what he had. No, I didn't want T-shirts. I wanted to be able to give the gift of giving.
According to The 2007 Nationwide Blood Collection and Utilization Survey Report, blood is needed every two seconds. There have been instances where blood is not available to perform an organ transplant because there isn't enough blood to save that person's life. When that is the case, there's nothing doctors can do. Death is not replaceable. Blood is.
There are 10 pints of blood in the average adult body. Donating requires only one pint of your blood to be taken from you. ONE PINT. You will survive, I promise. Even if you might feel ill while you are in the process of donating blood, you'll get over it in no time. I got over my discomfort in a few minutes. A few sips of Sprite and a nice nurse that told me to keep coughing was all it took to make me feel normal again.
It doesn't take long to give blood. It never takes over an hour. I was only with the American Red Cross for less than thirty minutes. Your tiny amount of time will produce an infinite amount of thanks to someone who was on the brink of death.
I wholeheartedly agree with that old saying. I believe that life is like a delicate, tiny flower. One wrong footfall, and it could be crushed forever. My goal is to live a long and happy life. It feels good to know that I could possibly give that same goal to someone else. Anyone who gives blood to save a life is doing an incredibly beautiful, selfless act.
Today!
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