Donating Blood

Are you afraid of needles? Admittedly, there are different sizes of these, and some just look HUGE! Maybe it is the size or maybe the temporary pain that makes people afraid of them. There are things a person can do to get through this fear in order to donate blood. So, how do you become a hero if you are afraid of needles? I do not know if I can really answer that in a way to calm the fears of someone terrified of needles. Maybe it is just an issue of mind over matter. I tell myself I am doing it to help people, as one donation can save as many as three lives. It is not something I need to do on a very regular routing. You can give six times in a year, as you are only eligible to give every 56 days. So what is an hour of my time if someone needs my help? I am not going to be losing the blood for long, as the body quickly replaces it. It only takes an hour to give – less than 10 minutes for the actual donation. I have enough to share, as the average adult body contains 10-12 pints and you are only giving up one.

There are several blood types: A, B. AB, and O. There is also the negative or positive aspect. Type O blood donors are a critical member of the life-saving team. It is the most common blood type, so it is also the most in demand. If you are O-positive, more than 1/3 of the population can be transfused if they have O-positive, A-positive, or B-positive. If you are O-negative, you have the universal blood type. In emergencies, this means your blood can be transfused to anyone, regardless of their blood type. As a Type-O donor, you can save more lives in more ways than any other blood types, so you are what is refereed to as a her"O" (hero) donor. Actually, anyone who donates blood is a hero to anyone who needs it.

The American Red Cross is a wonderful organization that comes to people’s rescue in the time of need. This can be in the time of disaster, casualties, diseases, or sickness. Thankfully, because people donate blood to the American Red Cross on a volunteer basis, there is a blood bank from which patients can get what they need in either quantity or blood type. Because of certain diseases, a person may require a full transfusion – it is there for that. Blood loss from an accident or surgery may require several pints – it is there for that.

There is a 97% chance you know someone who will need a blood transfusion. Every 2 seconds is how often someone in America needs blood. So next time you see the ad for the American Red Cross wanting your help to save lives, please consider doing it. Just take a deep breath when you arrive, tell yourself it is for a good cause, tell the assistant it is your first time and that you are nervous (they will help calm those fears) and just look the other way when they are ready to insert the needle. You will be surprised how much difference that can make. It is like having a honeybee or wasp land on you. If you don’t know they are there, you do not know when (or if) they are going to sting. But if you start freaking out, even when they just start swarming around you, you tend to tense up and get scared, and it makes things so much worse.

Donating blood is a good example of teamwork. I look at it with this analogy comparing it to my online business that I can work from home:
Patient + donor + Red Cross = blood for those in need
Mentor + help + Internet = success for building an online business

Either way you look at it, teamwork is what makes either of these scenarios work.

Author: Linda Dougherty
Specializes in working with people to show them how to market effectively to earn money online.
www.InternetToWealth.com