Have you ever donated
blood? If not, let me ask you a few questions:
Have you ever secretly wanted to be a hero? You know, someone who can actually
save the life of another.
Do you know someone who is currently, or has been in the hospital?
Do you have a free thirty minutes?
Do you know someone
fighting cancer?
Do you have a friend or a loved one who has ever been involved in a traumatic
accident?
If you answered yes to
any of the questions above, you need to give blood. There are patients and
accident victims counting on you and need your blood to help them live. They
need you to be a hero. As an advocate of this cause, I encourage everyone to
give blood TODAY. It only takes 30 minutes and the blood you give stays local.
The best part is that your donation will make you, not just a hero, but a SUPER
HERO!
On Monday, I gave blood at Johnston Memorial Hospital in the Blood
Assurance donor center. I signed in, they took my blood pressure, I
filled out paperwork on the computer, they stuck me, and I gave a unit of blood
(simple as that). That single unit of blood will go to help not just one
person, but has the potential to save three lives. Imagine that! The work
of a Super Hero without even breaking a sweat!
You may be wondering why I am so persistent about this issue. Well, my oldest
daughter was born prematurely. She required an infusion of red cells to help
jump start her tiny body. The hospital obtained those red cells from the
blood bank. After seeing the miracle of blood work in my own daughter, I
became a donor.
In addition to premature births, blood is used for cancer patients, automobile
and trauma patients, cardiovascular surgeries, burn victims, and patients
undergoing organ and marrow transplants. Thirty (30) minutes of your time
is invaluable in the lives of others. In our country someone needs blood every
two seconds. The sad part is that less than 10 percent of the eligible U.S.
population donates annually, and there is no substitute for human blood.
Nationally, one in seven people entering a hospital need blood; and women
receive 53 percent of blood transfusions (largely related to complications
during child birth).
You don't have to be Super Human to be a Super Hero. The good people at the
Blood Assurance Blood Donation Center inside JMH are ready to collect your
donation! Healthy adults who are 16 years old and weigh at least 120
pounds are eligible to donate whole blood (Imagine that, a 120 pound Super
Hero!). Now, I am not going to tell you that the process is pain free, but it
is not nearly as bad as it used to be! A sample will be taken from your finger
to determine your eligibility. If you pass the initial test, you will get
a stick in the arm to collect your sample (Yes, it hurts a little, but aren't
you a Super Hero? Superman stops bullets with his chest; surely you can
take a stick in the arm).
Still not convinced? Let me give you a few more reasons to donate:
1. Snacks! You get free food to replenish nutrients lost in the process.
2. You will weigh less when you finish.
3. You can take a break from exercise and heavy lifting for a day or two after
donating.
4. It is something that you can do on equal footing with the rich and famous -
although most of them are too scared to donate.
5. You walk a little taller afterwards and you feel very good about yourself!
6. It is the right thing to do.
Please consider giving blood today. If not today, tomorrow. Others are
depending on you to be a hero for them. Who knows, I might need your blood to
save me one day.
