The last time my doctor ordered a blood test, I cried. Big old scaredy-cat tears rolling down my 18-year-old cheeks. Yeah, it was embarrassing.
I've never been a fan of shots or anything involving somebody putting a needle in my arm. It hurts, and I've always been able to feel the liquid enter my body. So naturally anytime the annual blood drive rolls around, I swiftly walk the other way. No, thank you. The idea that my blood, the stuff that keeps me alive, would be exiting my body is creepy. I just couldn't wrap my head around the idea that sane people would sign up to get closer to death. Yeah sure, in the back of my head I knew that donated blood can save people, but that was someone else's problem.
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Then I decided that I wanted a tattoo. (Hey, mom, I guess this is a good time to tell you.) A situation in which I would be in pain because someone would be (artfully) jabbing needles in me. Can anyone else smell the hypocrisy? I realized that I was willing to get over my fear of needles for myself, so why couldn't I get over it for someone else?
According to the Red Cross, a car accident victim may need up to 100 pints of blood, but fewer than 10 percent of people eligible to donate blood actually give. That's a large need and a small supply. Anyone who has taken economics will know that that means there's not enough to go around.
People other than trauma victims benefit from donated blood as well. About 1,000 babies are born every year with sickle cell disease. They'll need blood transfusions throughout their lives. And according to the World Health Organization, people with ectopic pregnancies, hemorrhaging or surgical complications may need blood to save their lives and the lives of their babies. Blood also cannot be manufactured, it has to come from donors like you and me.
Armed with my new found knowledge, I signed up to donate blood at a campus drive. Eighty percent of Red Cross blood donations come from mobile drives like this one. I told them I was a first time donor, and I got a special sticker so that the phlebotomist would know to give me some extra juice. Donation happens in four steps. You register, answer questions about your medical history, receive a short physical and then you lay back on a table, the needle is inserted and your blood begins to flow into the tube. If you start to feel woozy a volunteer will bring you juice and if you're me they'll pat your face with a cool towelette because you didn't tell them you were super dizzy when you should have. The whole process is relatively painless, lasts about forty-five minutes and then you get to eat free cookies.
The need for blood donations isn't somebody else's problem. If you're eligible to donate, the responsibility rests on you. If you're scared, I hope this helped you to understand the process a bit better and maybe feel empowered to face your fears and save a life.
Let me know your thoughts in the comments. Maybe you've been donating since you were eligible or you've never given in your life. Let us know why!
