A few days ago, I received a call from the notorious "unknown caller." I answered, only to hear an odd silence. I spent a few moments repeating, "Hello? Helloooo?" until a voice suddenly came on with a plain, monotone drone, the kind that tells you there is nothing near a living human on the other end of the line. I've been receiving calls from this same group for the last few years now. But to tell the truth, since the first time I've heard the message, it's a call I am starting to look forward to getting.
The person in the message explained, "I am calling on behalf of the Community Blood Center to thank you for saving a life today." And instantly, I remembered I gave blood last week. The message went on with thanks and praise and asked me to donate again soon. But even as my brain began to filter it out the rest of the message, there was that single sentence in the back of my mind as I hung up the phone: "Thank you for saving a life today."
There is something magical about the idea that you can give of yourself and save a complete stranger, someone you likely have never met and likely never will. At the same time you're completely anonymous to one another, you and this person become two people connected literally by blood. The phone message doesn't tell you his or her name or age, not even when he or she received your blood. The only thing you know is someone was in need and it was your blood that helped. That should be reason enough to donate.
For some, that statement may seem somewhat hyperbolized. You personally didn't pump your blood into that person, so what sort of saving did you do? If your mindset is the dismissive kind of "It's OK, someone will do it, so I don't have to," you must realize your blood will be used. It will be given to another human being. It will be your blood keeping someone alive. It is easy to forget because of how removed from the process we are. Perhaps, in some ways, donating blood has become a sort of industrial process, one that keeps people disconnected from one another.
But donation centers have come up with means of denying us this opinion as well with stickers and shirts and all other walks of merchandise with "I saved a life today" or "Hero" displayed proudly and conspicuously on them. Combine this with the phone calls, the blood-speckled bandage and the tiny hole left to heal in your arm, and you're going to be hard pressed to forget your good deed. If those symbols aren't enough for you, then you can always go for the orange juice and cookies. (I personally would give a kidney for those white-chocolate macadamia nut ones.)
There have been several blood drives on campus already this year through a variety of organizations. If you pass through Shriver on any given day you're sure to come across a sign for one. As you read this, I hope that you take the time to really consider donating. No matter your motivation, the important thing is the end result. Lives will be saved because of blood donations. It's the right thing to do and, besides, it could be your life in need one day.
John Luckoski luckosjl@muohio.edu
