Hey friends! I’m not one for parties, so for my birthday this year, I am hosting a virtual blood drive and I would love your support (this time will probably be easier since this one is through a more widely known blood center than the last one was lol)!
For anyone that knows me, you have probably heard me talk about donating blood at least twice lol. The first time I ever donated blood was my junior year of high school, and I have been going on and off every year since. Fun fact- the last thing that I did right before covid shut everything down and we all had to social distance was go donate blood! And to this day after the pandemic, the U.S. is still recovering from the critical blood and platelet shortage that devastated the nation due to the pandemic.
So, as a small way to combat this, I’m hosting this virtual blood drive through the entire month of February – starting the 1st and ending on the 28th, you’ve got one month to pledge to donate and then do so! If you happen to go one day and get deferred for a bit, no problem – you can go again later! Bonus points to anyone who can go on the 13th, as that is my actual birthday! If you have never donated before, it would mean the world to know that your first time was for this little drive! If you have donated, kudos to you and thank you for supporting such a great cause! This can also be donation of platelets (you can donate platelets every seven days fyi) and or plasma – anything goes, and any donation you make automatically makes you a rockstar in my books. But I know some folks have concerns… so below I have some common things people say when they hear blood drive:
Recently get a tattoo or piercing? You can still donate (so long as you did so in a licensed and sterile shop)! Think low iron levels are gonna stop you? Your iron levels (namely hemoglobin) change everyday, so you can still donate – just eat some spinach, or other foods rich in iron like fish and red meat (my levels often are the reason I get deferred, but I take supplements and vitamins everyday, and even use something called “Blood Builder,” which is great for boosting those levels)! Scared of needles? You can still donate – the nurses (they’re called phlebotomists!) are super kind, so let them know and they’ll distract and help you out (they want to help you as much as you’ll let them, so let them do their jobs and help you help others)! And for my queer friends (especially AMAB), you ARE allowed to donate blood – here is a link with some frequently asked questions regarding blood donation now that that homophobic ban has been lifted: https://www.hrc.org/resources/blood-donations!
With everything that has been happening as of late, it can be easy to feel small and hopeless, which is why it is so important that we are able to lean on each other for support and to stand with one another. One of the easiest ways to do this is to volunteer, and even if it feels like a small or insignificant step, you are helping someone in a way that not most others can. I’m not used to doing big or exciting things for my birthday, so help me out and make this one the most exciting one yet!
Sky <3