Every day, selfless people donate blood all across the United States.  They walk into clinics, hospitals, offices and even mobile buses, roll up their sleeves, and allow someone to jab them with a needle so that they can save the lives of others people.

People like me.

I have aplastic anemia which causes crazy variations on the levels of my red and white blood cell and platelet levels. These variations are often treated with blood transfusions. I’m AB-with a history of negative O reactions, so finding blood that works for me isn’t always easy when I am in need of it.

Donors are what keep me and thousands of others going everyday.

Take the following scenario:
Jeff walks into the mobile blood drive vehicle on his companies parking lot. Maybe he didn’t really feel up to going, but he did. He may have a ton of paperwork on his desk, but he still walked away from it. He gives 2 hours of his day and an exceptional share of his energy to fill up a bag with his blood. Jeff goes back to his desk, he forgets all about it. He didn’t do this for fame or for praise, he did this out of compassion and kindness. Jeff will never meet the person who receives his blood. But I will meet the person, because I AM the person.
What Jeff doesn’t know, is that his generous gift gives ME the ability to leave the hospital and come home to my family. His gift buys me more time with my son, more days to write, crochet, live and do all of the things I love.
You see, if you are reading this and you have ever donated blood. There could be someone walking around as we speak who is ALIVE because of you!
To Jeff,and every other person who has made the decision to give blood…THANK YOU! Your generosity has saved my life, over and over and over.
And for that, I am eternally grateful.

:)