Two Gallons and a Quart
I am getting an urge to go to the supermarket, march over to the very back of the store and hold a gallon of milk in each hand and then propping up a quart against my hip and the inside of my arm. I am also fighting the urge to walk around while holding all that milk for a little while.
It’s not that I have some immense craving for a very precise quantity of milk. I am only using milk as a comparison. Last night Todd and I stopped in at the Rhode Island Blood Center and we each donated a pint. It just occurred to me that over the years I’ve donated 2 gallons and a quart of blood in this state. I don’t remember how much I’ve ever donated while I lived in Connecticut or in Massachusetts. But I do recall two occasions on which I donated while I was living in Australia. If I had to guess, the total amount of blood I’ve ever donated, in gallons, is likely somewhere near four gallons. Four. Imagine four gallons of milk in your grocery cart. That’s how much of my blood is out there probably in somebody else’s body right now.
So, here’s my little public service announcement for today, because it is the season of giving. If you donate a pint of blood you can save a life. With so many people on the roads right now getting to and from holiday celebrations and out shopping, the likelihood of car accidents has increased dramatically. With increased accidents comes increased demand for blood.
Just think, by spending a half hour with a needle in your arm you could very well salvage somebody’s Christmas.
http://www.redcross.org/donate/give/
Labels: public service announcements
posted by BJ Knapp at
11:33 AM
1 Comments:
Thanks for your comments on blood donation. I's the community development manager at the Rhode Island Blood Center, and you are certainly on target with your comments. It's a rare opportunity that we have to literally save someone's life. Actually with each donation you can save three lives. We take red cells, plasma and a platelet from a whole blood donation, each given to a different recipient. The "needle in your arm" actually is about seven minutes, not a half hour. The whole process, with paperwork -- and, of course, the finishing juice and cookies -- is about 45 minutes, only about seven of which is actually spent donating. It's a small sacrifice of time to save a life. And congratulations on your multi-gallon donations. You have certainly given life and hope to several individuals.
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home