#12: Donating Blood

Dearest Reader,

Every 2 seconds someone needs blood in this country, according to the American Red Cross.  People suffering from burns, accidents, cancer, undergoing heart surgery, organ transplants, and a plethora of other maladies truly do rely on the kindness of strangers.  And blood donation is so easy to do:

• Make an appointment at the American Red Cross.
• Arrive on time.
• Fill out a form (You have quite a bit of reading your first time.)
• The attendant checks your blood pressure, pulse, and iron.
• Answer questions on the computer.  (Out of necessity, some are personal to avoid possible contamination.)
• You are led to a reclining seat and asked to pick an arm.
• The attendant searches for a blood vessel and pokes the needle in the bend of your arm.
• You hold a rubber implement and squeeze
• The process finishes in 5-10 minutes, and attendants remove the needle.
• You sit for a few minutes to avoid fainting.
• Snacks!
• See you in 56 days!

The donee is not the only one who benefits.  Blood donation:

• decreases iron levels in the body, reducing the risk of heart disease.  Iron triggers free radicals leading to oxidation of the arteries and contributing to heart attacks.  Lowered iron levels mitigate these occurrences.
• reduces iron levels decreasing the risk of certain types of cancers.
• allows one to learn his/her blood type, blood pressure numbers, and whether one is anemic.
• burns 650 calories in the process!  (There are snacks!)

And if you have a rare blood type, you will be the bell of this blood ball!

Making the world a better place through blood donation is easy and promotes Lives Well-Lived.

​Love,
M.J.