It involves needles, cookies and packets of blood.
The perks include......a tasty snack:
...an armband in the color (the brighter the better to scream out to the world, "I did a noble deed today!") of your choice:
...and awesome entertainment on a flat screen TV:
Being O- and CMV-, my blood is in high demand for babies. The blood bank calls me regularly to tell me, "Aimee, there are three little newborns at the hospital who need your blood type. Please make time today to go donate."
Keeping babies alive? Hmmmm...that's a pretty big perk.
I'm happy to say that my son is now old enough to donate. What's even better is that he was recently willing to do so.
Look at these veins. (Or don't because this is a pretty nasty picture.) They're enough to make any phlebotomist swoon.
His arm doesn't always look like this, just when he cuts off the circulation at the elbow.
I warned him about the awkward questions. You know, when they ask you if you've ever injected bovine hormones, had a dura matter brain graft and all the really weird queries involving sexual encounters, drugs and money.
However, I said nothing to him about the needle. I've never looked at it before its insertion, but he did the first chance he got. He described it as being the size of a slide on a children's playground.
The better to bleed you with, my dear.
My view while "ministering":
Did you know that every time you donate blood, you give three people at least one more day with their families?
For some it's a day toward healing.
For others it may be their very last day.
If your blood is given out to babies then it goes even further since babies only need about a teaspoon each.
When all was said and done, I asked Tobias how his experience was overall. He said it was physically unpleasant, but he knew the sacrifice was worth it.
3 comments:
ughhh.. I despise needles and have not been able to get myself to donate for that reason but man you go Aimee...love to hear how people minister and that ya got Tobias to do it too :-)
i just started donating--although it took my arm 10 days to heal from some stupid person hurting me! but I will do it again and again, its worth it.
Thank you for doing that guys. I was all choked up reading this post. So many friends we know have needed blood or their babies so this IS a ministry.
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