The holidays may be over, but you can still give to others well into the new year. One way to do so is by donating blood. January is National Blood Donor Month, and blood donation has a whole new meaning for me after my experience.
I didn’t have a very specific birth plan when I was pregnant with my daughter, except for wanting to avoid having a c-section. After complications in the delivery room, the only way she was coming into the world was, you guessed it: by c-section.
After the surgery, I was less than an hour into recovery when I began to hemorrhage. As my vitals were dropping, I wondered if I was even going to live. I was rushed into a second surgery with the threat of needing a hysterectomy. Although I didn’t lose my uterus after all, I did lose a lot of blood and needed two blood transfusions.
There is no substitute for human blood. Every time you donate blood, you are saving up to three lives. Had it not been for generous blood donors, I may not be here today. But not only does it benefit someone else, but it is also beneficial to your health as well, including lowering your risk of cancer and heart disease.
There are many places you can go to donate blood in the Charleston area, including The Blood Connection and the American Red Cross. The Red Cross even has an app that makes it very convenient to schedule your next donation appointment. It also lets you follow the process your blood goes through after donation, and where it’s ultimately sent to save lives. Donating doesn’t take much of your time, and there is a small kickback sometimes, like a free t-shirt, movie tickets, or a gift card. If you’re a generally healthy person who meets the requirements, please consider being a blood donor!
