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I started giving blood when my son was born 2 1/2 months premature. He was not able to make enough blood on his own since he was so tiny. I gave blood to make-up for what he was using. That was 27 years ago, and I have not stopped. Since I am O+ and my blood can be used for babies, I am very proud to give life every 2 months!
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It's a volunteer service I believe a lot in. My aunt had a rare bone disease in the early 70's that required a lot of blood transfusions. The whole family donated for her. She was such a special Aunt. Even though she has died I donate in her memory in the hopes it makes a difference. One of these days who knows I might need some.
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I've been terrified of needles since I can remember, and did everything to avoid them. Recently a close friend of mine was admitted to the hospital and needed more than a few blood transfusions, and it was the shock of someone I love needing blood that spurred me to take a deep breath, get over a lifelong fear and donate blood.
All the volunteers were truly kind and assured me that it wouldn't hurt, but more importantly the fact that I was willing to donate would change lives. One of the volunteers even came over and squeezed my hand as the mental fear passed (though my eyes still watered) and I officially became a blood donor.
I know I'm lucky to be healthy enough to donate blood, and it was one of my biggest accomplishments as I walked outside with the red bandage across my inner elbow: giving back just as others have, and thanking one of those others who donated blood and helped my friend stay alive.
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I started donating blood because I see the impact it has on people's lives every day. As President of the Tri-Cities chapter of the Wishing Star Foundation, we grant wishes to children with life-threatening illnesses. A few years ago I was delivering Christmas presents to one of our kids; a little boy named Noey. The excitement on his face was priceless, and you would never know he had a condition in which his body does not produce red blood cells. Noey's life depends on people donating blood so he can get continual transfusions to survive. I had always been scared to donate blood until the day I met Noey, when I realized how big of an impact I could have on someone's life.
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I became a blood donor because I was grateful that my mom received blood to save her. She has gone through 7 bone & joint-replacement surgeries.
I became a registered organ donor after my brother-in-law's heart transplant in 2005.
This was written in 2005: Wednesday afternoon my mom & I went to San Diego because my brother-in-law suffered a severe heart attack. Doctors performed an angioplasty, and then his artery clogged up again. They had to perform an open-heart surgery. That was a major surgery where they did a coronary artery bypass graft. They take saphenous veins from your legs and put them in your heart. They put it in his right coronary artery. The doctors said he is as critically ill as they come --the worse possible cases that exist. He went through another major surgery on Thursday to insert an artificial right ventricle valve. They put in a right ventricular assist device. He is on an Abiomed machine that is doing the work of the right side of his heart. Blood from the right ventricle to the machine, and then the machine pumps the blood back to the pulmonary artery and then back through the left atrium and left ventricle and continuing with the normal blood flow. He has over sixteen bags of IV's hanging, three monitors, all kinds of TV-like screens -- whatever they're called. He has tubes in this mouth, in his chest, and in his legs. There is a machine circulating his blood for him which, I think, is attached to his leg.
There was talk of his having had four heart attacks in one 24 hour period and 3 or 4 surgeries within fewer than 48 hours. He was at the Naval Hospital in San Diego and then transported to UCSD Thornton Medical Facility/Hospital. It's a beautiful facility and more importantly has an excellent reputation for medicine.
He ended up having six open-heart surgeries -- 5 of them within 12 days -- all 6 to 9.5 hours long. He was in an induced coma for 21 days. His having survived was considered a miracle. His story was aired on NBC in San Diego. I am still grateful to this day to God and all the doctors and all those who prayed. My brother-in-law and my sister were able to send a message of gratitude to the family who lost their loved one.
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The staff at my local blood drive were very helpful to me. I love helping people and so i made the decision to go and donate blood to my local blood drive. This was my first time and they could not get a full pint out of me so it cannot be used. But the lady who took my blood was very helpful and gave me some tips to get me ready for next year. So I will go next year prepared and hopefully they can get a full pint out of me. It does not hurt but for a second when you give blood and it is very rewarding once you do. The reward is knowing you are saving someones life who needs that blood more than you do.
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I decided to start donating because of a tragedy that happened in my life several years ago. An ex-boyfriend tried to kill me and almost did, he caused my spleen to explode. That night it took two pints of blood to save my life. Because that happened, I was able to be where I am now. I have a beautiful family; three wonderful daughters and a wonderful husband. Since then I feel that I owe my life to people I've never met, so since I can't say thank you, I have been paying it forward. I have given more than two pints of blood but I just can't stop now. I have recieved a gift and I will keep giving back because the need is great and the supply is not.
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When I turned 16, everyone told me that I should give blood because I'm O+ and it is always needed, but I always chickened out. When I turned 17, one friend of mine is the same blood type as me and she came to me and told me that if she does it, I have to do it. Since then I have loved giving blood. I have a goal in life to save and help lives. I go on mission trips every year to help change lives and to me giving blood is just another small contribution to that goal.
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The time I donated blood I was told that I had saved 35 lives with the
donations I had made. It makes me feel good to know that I am helping
to save a life instead of destroying one. I used to be a volunteer driver.
when there was a fire my partner and I would take the canteen truck to the
location of the fire and serve coffee & doughnuts to the firemen and victims.
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I chose to donate blood when I turned 17 this past summer because three years prior I was in need of three blood transfusions because I had lost so much blood in a fatal car accident. I decided that since everyone had donated bood to help me, I would donate blood to help others that end up in my family's shoes.
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