It's June, which has had me thinking very heavily about the events of June 12th, 2016. The Pulse Nightclub shooting was one of the biggest shootings in U.S. History, and it happened right here in our backyard. 49 innocent lives were lost, and even more were injured and hospitalized. It was a tragedy that rocked Orlando and its people to their cores.
As a result of the massive tragedy, there was an "urgent demand" for blood. Blood donations were hospitals "first line of defense" in treating the victims and in saving lives. The outpouring of people who showed up to donate that day was amazing. Over 700 people lined up outside of clinics all over central Florida. Everywhere you went there were five hour waits.
I know because I was there, waiting in those lines. They desperately needed O, and that was my blood type so I had called out of work for the day to go and give my support. However, after driving to six separate locations, including buses, nowhere could take me. They were running out of supplies and couldn't accommodate the massive amounts of people looking to do what they could for their community. As I drove for hours searching for somewhere that could take me, feeling utterly powerless, something occurred to me. It wasn't that the demand for blood wasn't there, facilities weren't properly prepared for something of such magnitude. And that's why having a ready supply of blood is so important.
After that day, I decided to donate blood more regularly, not just in a time of crisis. I've become a frequent donor and advocate for the importance of regular donation. According to the American Red Cross, every two seconds, someone in the U.S. is in need of blood, and a single blood donation can potentially save up to three lives. Blood and platelets can not be created or manufactured synthetically like some other materials and can only come from donors, which is a struggle in and of itself, because only approximately thirty-eight percent of the population is eligible to give blood. These are all reasons it is so, so crucial to donate if you can.
36,000 units of red blood cells are needed everyday in the U.S., and you can be a part of that. Find out your blood type, join the cause, and save lives. It doesn't take much, just a simple visit every two to three months. Donated blood can last up to 42 days, and a healthy donor can donate approximately every 56 days. If you do not know if you are eligible, or you don't know your blood type, that is okay. You can have your blood tested at any donation center, and they will screen it and contact you. If you have any questions about the donation process, or where you can go to donate, there are plenty of online resources, such as Theredcrossblood.org, and OneBlood.org. So, make an appointment and start saving as many lives as possible.
