Blood Donors: Everyday Heroes Saving Lives

What is a hero?

Have you ever thought about that? What are their characteristics? What is it that makes them a hero? What makes them different from you or I?

From the Merriam-Webster online dictionary, we find the following:

he·ro - noun \?hir-(?)?\ plural he·roes

Definition of HERO

1. A: a mythological or legendary figure often of divine descent endowed with great strength or ability; B: an illustrious warrior; C: a man admired for his achievements and noble qualities; D: one who shows great courage
2. A: the principal male character in a literary or dramatic work; B: the central figure in an event, period or movement
3. A: an object of extreme admiration and devotion : idol

No matter how many times I looked up “blood donor,” it never said anything about being a hero. It typically said “someone who gives blood to be used for transfusions.”

So how and why do we view blood donors as heroes? Blood donors are not of divine descent; they don’t have great strength or ability; and they tend to be quite humble. They will tell you it doesn’t take a lot of courage – they just want to help others. As a matter of fact, blood donors come from all walks of life, all backgrounds and – generally speaking, are as ordinary as you and I.

So they have noble qualities, right? That has to be it. What else is left? So in looking up Noble, this is what I found (again, thanks to Merriam-Webster online dictionary!):

no·ble - adj \?n?-b?l\ no·bler no·blest

Definition of NOBLE

1. A: possessing outstanding qualities : illustrious; B: famous, notable
2. A: of high birth or exalted rank : aristocratic
3. A: possessing very high or excellent qualities or properties<noble wine>; B: very good or excellent
4. A: grand or impressive especially in appearance <noble edifice>
5. A: possessing, characterized by, or arising from superiority of mind or character or of ideals or morals : lofty <a noble ambition>

This still doesn’t seem to fit. Ask a blood recipient and THEY will tell you a blood donor possesses outstanding qualities.

Ask a donor why he or she donates and they will likely never say because it’s the noble thing to do. The answers you will get most often are: “It feels good to know I am helping others,” “It takes just a few minutes of your time and you can help three people,” “It’s such a simple thing to do. I have good health and want to help others.”

Blood donors ARE everyday heroes. They go about their lives – in their quiet, unassuming ways – never thinking that what they do makes them a hero. They give because it’s the right thing to do. They give because they know they can help someone; because when someone they knew needed blood, it was there. Blood donors are caring, compassionate people. Again, blood donors are heroes.

We don’t often get the chance to meet such everyday heroes and thank them for what they do.

According to the AABB, someone needs blood in this country every two seconds. Each day, patients across the country receive about 39,000 units of blood. There are more than 14 million blood transfusions administered annually, given to people who are accident victims and undergoing surgery, as well as receiving treatments for leukemia, cancer and other diseases. Behind each blood transfusion is a blood donor – a quiet hero.

In 1970, President Richard Nixon designated the month of January as National Blood Donor Month. In his proclamation, he called upon the media, blood banks, medical health facilities and the public at large to pay special tribute and honor to voluntary blood donors during the month. He also encouraged, by all appropriate means, an increase in the number of voluntary blood donors. January was picked because traditionally it is a difficult month for blood collections due to travel, illness, school holidays and bad weather.

Although we do want to increase the number of voluntary blood donors, the first part of the proclamation was to pay special tribute to and honor voluntary blood donors. How can you do that? There is a saying that “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.” What an example blood donors set – why not join them?

If you have never donated, become a blood donor. January is a great month to start! If you are a blood donor, encourage others to donate or encourage them to donate one more time per year. Work with a local organization holding a blood drive and bake goodies for the donors! If you know a blood donor, thank them for their gift of life!

The Rhode Island Blood Center along with Dunkin’ Donuts will be honoring and thanking our blood donors all month long by giving those who donate blood during January (at one of our donor centers or at a local blood drive) a coupon for a FREE pound of Dunkin’ Donuts coffee.

Blood donors are everyday heroes. Thank you to the countless blood donors in RI and across the nation! We honor and thank you for your gift of life.