Today – June 14th – is World Blood Donor Day.
Blood donation is so incredibly important. Donated blood can and has literally saved lives countless times.
Obviously, not everyone is qualified to donate blood, be it for health reasons, medication that they may be on, or another reason. But if you are able to donate blood, I urge you to schedule an appointment or learn more about how to donate blood in your area.
Why should you donate blood? Here are twenty reasons that the world will genuinely be a better place if you make the decisions to donate your blood to a local blood drive this year:
- The need is tremendous. There are hundreds of thousands or even millions of people who are in need of blood transfusion every day. In fact, someone needs blood every two seconds, worldwide!
- Donated blood can only be stored for a short period of time. That means that every day, blood that is donated and has not been administered to a person who needs that type of blood has to be thrown out. To keep the much-needed supply up, regular donation is critical.
- It is easy to find a place to donate. Click the links in the text above to find your nearest donation location.
- One pint of human blood can save up to three lives. Wow!
- You have the potential to help one of many, many people. So many people require blood transfusion. The list includes cancer patients, organ donation recipients, surgery patients, accident victims, and many more.
- You will learn more about yourself. Know your blood type? Well, you are about to!
- Many people are eligible to donate. You have to be at least 17 in most states, but there is not an age limit on donors. You can donate as often as every 60 days – less in some areas – and restrictions on demographics have largely been eased in recent years. (That includes having tattoos; you can donate one year after getting your ink.)
- It is completely free!
- It really does not hurt. Sure, there is a needle involved, but if you can get a shot – and you should be doing that annually – you can donate blood.
- It is the most meaningful act of charity you can do while lying down. What a relaxing way to give!
- It is a free physical, in miniature. Want your vitals taken? Before you can donate, you will need your basic vitals taken to ensure that you are healthy enough to donate. This is completely free and can alert you to possible health problems.
- Blood donation can help you balance excess iron stores. Experts say about one in every 200 Americans has too much iron built up in their blood, a common condition especially in Caucasians. This is remedied fairly simply by donating blood. Plus the donated blood is perfectly safe for use by patients in need. A real win-win!
- It only takes about an hour to donate blood. You can skip one episode of your favorite show or even do it on your lunch break and make a positive difference, quickly.
- You get a free snack! Most donation centers serve juice or sports drinks and a sweet treat like cookies or donuts. Yum!
- Studies suggest that people who regularly donate or otherwise give charitably – including blood donation – live longer, healthier lives.
- Blood donation may also help you lower your risk of heart attack, cancer, liver problems, and more.
- Blood donation allows you to “be the change you want to see in the world” in a very tangible way.
- You never know when you might need blood.
- Someone you know or love might need blood one day, too.
- It is a genuinely good thing to do that puts positive energy out into the world. No matter your personal beliefs, it is hard to argue with the logic behind doing something good for others.
Are you planning to donate this year? If not, what is holding you back? And if you cannot do so, why not share this article with someone you love who can?
It is the best way to help others and truly serve the global community in a real way!