I remember being back in high school and there would be blood drives and I was always so disappointed that I wasn't old enough to donate. Once I became old enough, I found out I didn't weigh enough. (Yes, I know, everyone should be lucky enough to have that problem.) I once even went down to a drive they were having at the mall I worked at in the hopes that maybe now I met the requirement. They took one look at me, after I had been sitting there for a while, and said "I don't think you weigh enough." I'm pretty sure they even weighed me to double-check, and sure enough I got rejected. But then I saw the church I'm interning at was hosting a blood drive and I decided this was my year.
Why have I felt it so important to give blood? I couldn't honestly tell you. I guess maybe I've always wanted to help where I could, and giving blood is so easy. It's something that is needed, it costs nothing, and the miracle of the human body means that whatever I give is replenished within a short amount of time (according to giveblood.org it takes about a month). Someone's life can be saved for two hours out of my day. The better question is why wouldn't you want to give?
I was told that a lot of people are nervous before they give for the first time, but not me. I was so excited. My mom likes to donate every year around her birthday (which is in the beginning of December) so when I told her Asbury was doing a blood drive she decided to put it off for a few weeks and we would go together. We ended up being walk-ins, but since neither one of us had anything planned for the day other than watching General Hospital and going to the movies to see Spectre later that night, we certainly didn't mind waiting. If you've never donated, when you go there's some tests they have to do to make sure you're able to give, such as an iron count, pulse, and blood pressure. I must be a very lucky person because I don't eat as well as I should and I don't exercise as much as I should but my numbers were great. "Whatever you're doing, keep it up!" Yes, coffee and cookies! (I've been eating a LOT of sugar lately.) Finally I got to a table and laid down. There was a little difficulty finding my veins and I was told I have small veins (as does my mom) but before I knew it they stuck me with a needle and I started squeezing. Seven and a half minutes later I was done. I slowly sat up, somebody consistently making sure I felt okay. I slowly made my way over to the cookie and juice table, partly to be cautious and partly because I was feeling like I do when I haven't eaten in a while: just a little off, shaky, and light headed. I sat down and drank a juice and started on some mini Oreo's, chatting away with a congregation member who was helping to run the drive, and then..... I started feeling more and more light-headed and I got really warm. I started to put my head down, since you hear that's what one should do when one is about to faint, and Ed noticed I was not okay. He calmly got someone over to me who calmly moved me to this chair that tips back and he rolled me off to the side and lay me and the chair on the floor. Cold, wet paper towels were placed on my head and neck and I was told to cough a couple times so the blood could get moving. Yep, folks, I almost passed out after giving blood. I guess there always has to be someone, right? Truthfully, I had a feeling I would be "that person" going in to the situation, so I wasn't panicky or even really all that surprised. It didn't take long for me to feel better and after chugging half a bottle of water, eating the rest of my Oreo's, and sitting and talking, I was ready to go. Now, the part they don't tell you is how you'll feel for the rest of the day. Walking up the stairs in my mom's house just about took me out. I was so out of breath that you would think I had been sick and laid up for days. I guess it makes sense since they take a pint of blood out of you. I was exhausted by about 6 that night, and even the next day taking my laundry to and from the basement winded me more than usual. Now, if you ask my mom, the reason I almost passed out is probably because I still don't weigh enough. Truthfully, I have no idea how much I weigh, so this may be true, but I did it. I donated blood and helped to save lives.
So my New Year's wish on this 31st of December 2015 is this: if you have a chance and are healthy enough to, please give blood. It's not scary and in the grand scheme of things it doesn't take a lot of time. Did I mention the free cookies and T-shirt? If you're not sure where or when, check out redcross.org for more information. And along those same lines, consider being an organ donor. If you know me, you know this is something I have talked about many times in the past. When my dad died they were able to take skin, tissue, and corneas and give them to someone else. Someone else got a chance at a better life because of my dad, and what greater gift is that? I am an organ donor and I've made sure everyone around me knows this so that if anything happens to me there is no question: use what you can to save someone else. I don't need it. I'm dead. Go to donatelife.net for more information.
With all that being said, please have a safe and happy New Year. I'll see you in 2016!!!!
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