Why do I give blood? I suppose it is why most of us do the things we do; it was modeled for me by my parents. I remember my dad especially donated regularly when he was still able to. My mom also donated blood, but maybe not as often as dad did. They were both registered on their driver’s licenses as organ donors. Someone benefited from this when my mom died suddenly 21 years ago and donated her viable organs to others. The picture I am using for this campaign is of my husband, myself, and my niece’s two boys. They were both born prematurely. They are both healthy boys today. I recently found out that my blood is special. Not only because it is O+ which is greatly needed and used, but also because it doesn’t have a virus that is present in the blood of most people by the age of 40. This means that my blood can be used directly for premature babies and organ transplant patients. The likely hood of my actual blood donation being used to save a life is very high. When I saw the email from the Red Cross wishing me a Happy Birthday, I thought that’s nice. But then as I read it, I realized I could start a campaign and encourage others to donate blood also. This seemed a perfect way to celebrate my 58 years of life, the almost 7 years of my oldest great nephew’s life, the 3 1/2 years of his brother’s life, and honor my parents who were very generous and giving until they died. So, we are starting today, my birthday and ending on January 26th, my dad’s birthday. Make your appointment to donate today and let’s see if we can get another 150 pints to save the lives of someone’s loved one.