I hit a milestone on Saturday that I’m pretty proud of…
My 25th blood donation.
No, it’s not as high as some of you—and I marvel at the dedication of people who stick with it and donate 100 units or more. That’s incredible.
In contrast, I started donating late – in my 40’s – and the delay was due to my first donation that took place when I was 19.
I was new to Peterborough and new to the station, and as I remember it we were interviewing somebody from the Red Cross about a blood donor clinic coming up. The question came, “Do you donate, Gord?”
No.
“Would you like to give it a go?”
Sure.
And so I did. Dropped down after work at the Red Cross headquarters on Water Street, rolled up my sleeve and did the deed – only to faint dead away. I have extremely low blood pressure anyway, and it just dropped like a rock.
Edie Donney, bless her heart, my angel, drove me home while her daughter drove my car back to the apartment.
What happened that day? I surmise I just wasn’t looking after myself back then. Not eating right, getting too little sleep, working too hard, drinking way too much coffee and not enough water. And when that blood left my body my system cried foul and shut down.
I never went back.
And then my car accident happened in 1986 and it took the blood of a few dozen people to breath life back into me. I swore then that I would pay those people back.
It took me another 14 years to get the memory of 1976 out of my head, but I made it my own personal millennium project in 2000 and finally started.
Today I have my ‘25’ pin, which means I’ve paid all those people back and then some. And I don’t intend to stop now. I’d like to hit 100. (I’m a bit competitive). But regardless of the number, giving blood is such a satisfying thing to do and you’re helping so many people. Blood is something you can’t manufacture. And when you, or a loved benefits from the generosity of others, it really drives the point home.
Canadian Blood Services is celebrating its 10th anniversary this month, with a celebration coming in the fall. If you’re looking for a reason to start donating, there you go.
And guys, they have Lazy-boy chairs…