13 things you may not know about blood

Who knew???

A Caravan of Carnivals

Halfway through July, the Youth Department has maintained a presence at a multitude of festivals in the area. Most recently the department had a booth positioned in the family fun tent of the Heart of Illinois Fair at Peoria’s Expo Gardens. In festival settings we see families from all walks of life.

Parents and kids form lines at our booth to participate in our Spin-The-Wheel, game where the participant spins the wheel to choose a safety topic to be quizzed on. In this environment everyone is both a winner and a learner. However, when the opportunity presents itself some festival goers approach our booth to ask questions about our services. Sometimes, they even ask how they can volunteer at the American Red Cross. Occasionally, we hear moving stories that must be shared. While working the booth, I got to hear this.

100 Days of Summer

Summer is 100 days of high dives, ball games, and barbecues. It’s 100 ways to dress a burger, catch some shade, or get out of town. It’s 100 chances to clear the calendar for what’s most important.

Over the course of the summer, there are 100 chances to give hope to patients in need by donating blood or platelets through the American Red Cross. Choose your day to help save up to three lives.

How Do You Want to Make a Difference

Post from Ben Corey, Communications Program Manager, American Red Cross Blood Services

During Red Cross Month, the American Red Cross invites everyone to make a difference in their communities by giving blood, volunteering, taking a class or making a financial donation. Those supporters enable the Red Cross to continue to help people in need like the Roux family.

Jenny Roux’s son, Blake, was born with a rare and serious chromosome disorder that causes multiple abnormalities. Jenny and Blake both received two pints of blood the day he was born. For Blake, that marked the first of many transfusions. Jenny said she knew her time with him would be short, but she credits multiple blood transfusions with helping extend his life.

“Without the blood transfusions, I don’t know that he would have even had the 10 months we had with him,” she said.

Feel Good Stories Found by “Creeping the Book”

This morning has been a very unproductive one… our server is down which means I can’t access any files to get things accomplished.  Grrr!  Thankfully, I can get email and access the internet.   So after I was semi-productive responding to emails, I decided to “creep the book” and search for Red Cross posts.  I was amazed when I found these stories from a Red Cross blood drive volunteer in Findlay, IL (Shelby County).

“The blood drive was well underway when a woman brought this beautiful, little boy. The boy who had to be around 8 or 9 years old and he wanted to see a drive. He wanted to know more about the process. I showed him around. His name was Chris and he was from the Philippines.  As I showed him around I asked why he wanted to know this. His answer was simple, “Because last year, blood donations saved my life.” He left after that and I didn’t even get a picture, but it reminded me why I want to help save lives by collecting blood.”

And another good story…

“I was pulled away from what I was doing when a woman wanted to know how often we held our First Baptist Drive. I recognized her immediately because she so rarely misses donating. Her name is Emma. After I explained that we always had our drive on the third Thursday of every month, she said she could easily remember that. She told me that she was severely frightened of needles. She said that when she was a child a needle was nearly broken off in her arm as she fought those who gave her an immunization. She did not give blood because of her fear of needles. 

Then her son was in a terrible motorcycle accident. At that time she sat in the Emergency waiting room as they gave him several units of blood so that he could survive his injuries and blood loss. She thought as she sat there that if everyone had the same attitude as she did, her baby would not survive. She pledged to fight her fear and to donate to save the lives of strangers as they had for her child on that day. 

Today she earned her three gallon pin. That means she has given 24 times since she made that promise. Way to go, Emma!”

How’s that for a couple of feel good Friday moments?!? The only thing that might make you feel better is to set up your own blood donation appointment… hint, hint, wink, wink.  And to think, I wouldn’t have found these had the server not been down.  The universe works in mysterious ways.

We don’t want it all

Here ye, here ye! It has been decreed that every Friday from this day forward will be called… Feel Good Friday! (You should always feel good on a Friday.)

Our first official Feel Good Friday theme shall be… Sign up to donate blood because it just feels good!

Blood donors report feeling a sense of great satisfaction after making their donation. Why? Because helping others in need just feels good.

Don’t delay! Make an Appointment Now »

We don’t want it all! Just a pint! 🙂