“I didn’t know that emergency communications for military families in times of a disaster was something the Red Cross could help with.”
Early one morning in February, in Rapid City, South Dakota, a loud noise awakened Misti O’Connor. “Startled, I rushed outside to see what was going on and I could ‘hear’ the gas,” said Misti. A vehicle had crashed through the camper parked in her driveway, and then into her neighbor’s home, rupturing a gas line and causing the home to explode. This set the O’Connor’s garage on fire.
Aerial view of the damage at the O’Connor’s and neighbor’s houses. Submitted photo.
Misti ran back into the house to get her kids and that’s when they heard the next explosion. “It was really scary,” recalls Raenan, her 8-year-old son.
The O’Connor’s garage and camper following an explosion at their neighbor’s house. Submitted photo.
Back outside, Misti tried calling her husband, Jason, a staff sergeant deployed with the South Dakota Army National Guard on U.S. southern border. “He didn’t pick up at first because it was the middle of the night. I had to try several times.” Finally, they connected and once Misti explained what was happening, they both started making calls to see if they could get him home. Jason informed his guard command that there was an emergency at home and he needed to go.
Meanwhile, the local Red Cross disaster action team (DAT) was dispatched to respond to the fire and immediately mobilized volunteers, staff and the emergency response vehicle. On-site they provided hot chocolate to the first responders and people affected – and made sure everyone had a warm place to stay.
Extensive damage inside the O’Connor’s garage. Submitted photo.
Richard Felix, regional manager for Red Cross’s Service to the Armed Forces program in South Dakota, was part of the fire response team. Once he found out that Jason was deployed, he informed them of the Red Cross emergency communications program for military members. “Being on-scene was crucial in helping this family make a connection and getting Sgt. O’Connor home when his family needed him most,” said Richard.
“I didn’t know that emergency communications for military families in times of a disaster was something the Red Cross could help with,” said Misti. “We don’t like to accept help from others, so I was very reluctant, but I’m glad the Red Cross was there to help!”
They made the necessary arrangements through the Red Cross and Jason was on a plane headed home to be with his family by Saturday afternoon – just a day after the disaster. “The Red Cross made it so easy,” Jason said.
Having her husband home during this time was “everything” to Misti. “At first, we didn’t know the extent of the damage, but once I saw it, I realized I needed him home. I don’t think I could have done it without his help – I could have, but it would have been hard.”
“I definitely needed to come home to be with my family – to provide moral support,” said Jason who was able be at home for 10 days before returning to his deployment.
The O’Connor family spent five nights in a hotel before returning to their home. There’s still no electricity in the garage, but they’re getting close to having the work completed. “We’re just grateful things weren’t worse, and Jason was able to be home with me and the kids during such a scary and uncertain time,” said Misti.
Misti and Jason O’Connor with their children Raenan (8) and Lorelai (6). Submitted photo.
The Red Cross helps members of the military, veterans and their families prepare for, cope with, and respond to, the challenges of military service.Click here to learn more about Red Cross services for military and veteran families.
For more than four years, Amy Leopold has been a committed Red Cross volunteer. And this year, her commitment was recognized by receiving the American Red Cross’s 2023 Navin Narayan Award for Excellence in Youth Leadership. The award is a prestigious honor presented to a youth volunteer who demonstrates exemplary leadership skills and Red Cross service. Among the 100,000 youth volunteers serving with the Red Cross across the country, only one receives the award each year.
Ms. Leopold began volunteering as part of her Community Day volunteer requirement at The College of St. Scholastica in Duluth, Minnesota. She felt so drawn to the Red Cross mission that she became a youth board member at her local Red Cross chapter, also in Duluth. Since then, she has participated in more than a dozen different Red Cross program areas, ranging from smoke alarm installation, Veteran ‘stand down’ events, and hands-only CPR to Disaster Action Team response and calling blood donors. She has mentored several other students from her college, resulting in more than 20 new volunteers, and she puts her writing skills to important use through ‘thank you’ letters to volunteers, financial donors and partners that support the Red Cross mission.
“Whether through social media or her willingness to share her story, Amy consistently demonstrates to the community and her peers that there is a place in the Red Cross for young volunteers,” said Dan Williams, executive director of the American Red Cross serving Northern Minnesota. “She is an outstanding youth leader who continues to work to change the way youth in our Red Cross region connect with our humanitarian mission.”
National American Red Cross Presidet and CEO Gail McGovern and Amy Leopold, recipent of the 2023 Navin Narayan Award for Excellence in Youth Leadership, April 2023, Washington, D.C.
Leopold was also honored this year with the Northern Minnesota Red Cross chapter’s “Marguerite Grams Memorial Leadership Award” in recognition of exemplary leadership skills for her service as chair of the chapter’s mission committee.
The Navin Narayan Award for Excellence in Youth Leadership
Navin Narayan, a former chair of the American Red Cross National Youth Council, was a dedicated, compassionate and innovative youth volunteer. Mr. Narayan began his involvement with the Red Cross when he was only 14 years old by cleaning mannequins used to teach CPR, and quickly sought ways to become more involved. As a national disaster relief volunteer and trainer, international speaker on human rights, and tireless advocate for Red Cross causes, he changed the way youth are now connected to the American Red Cross. Tragically, at the age of 23, Mr. Narayan lost his battle with a rare form of cancer, but his legacy continues to live on through two honors the American Red Cross currently gives to youth volunteers in his name: the Navin Narayan Award for Excellence in Youth Leadership and the Navin Narayan College Scholarship.
We have the great pleasure of announcing that Hunter Conrad, from southeast Minnesota, has received an American Red Cross Certificate of Merit. This award is the highest award the Red Cross gives to an individual who saves or sustains a life by using skills and knowledge learned in a Red Cross Training Services course. The certificate bears the signature of the President of the United States, who is the honorary chairman of the American Red Cross.
Photo: (L to R) Kevin O’Brien, the instructor who certified Hunter, Hunter Conrad, the honoree, and Melanie Tschida, executive director of the American Red Cross serving Southeast Minnesota.
Hunter demonstrated heroic efforts on October 4, 2022, when he helped save the life of a cyclist who suffered a cardiac emergency in Dundas, Minnesota. On that day, he was driving down a rural back road when he came upon a group of cyclists who waved for him to stop. One of the cyclists had suddenly lost consciousness and fallen off his bike. Hunter sprang into action, assisting the cyclist in distress. With another member of the group, they alternated administering CPR until EMS arrived and took over. The cyclist was then airlifted to a hospital and later recovered.
Hunter was a true hero because he was trained to respond. More than 350,000 people suffer cardiac arrest every year – but sadly only 11% survive. Are you prepared for the moments that matter? Find the right class for you at redcross.org/mndaks.
Meet our newest (and cutest) Service to the Armed Forces (SAF) volunteer in the Minnesota and Dakotas Region. This certified Golden Retriever Therapy Dog joins owners Dan and Kathie Brusseau, and Dillion, their first therapy dog, to bring joy, positive energy and smiles to everyone they meet.
Welcome Archie to our SAF team!
Since 2020, the Brusseau’s have been valuable members of our SAF team. You might recall first meeting Dillion in 2021 when he visited hospitalized veterans who were experiencing high levels of isolation during the pandemic.
The newly formed foursome are now spreading double the love and kindness. They visit various locations in central and western South Dakota including the Rapid City Airport, Fort Meade Veterans Affairs Clinic in Sturgis, South Dakota, and attend other military-related events across the region.
Dan, Kathie, Archie and Dillion bring joy, positive energy and smiles to everyone they meet.
“Their goal is to provide comfort and happiness to someone’s day,” says Richard Felix, Red Cross Regional Program Manager, Service to the Armed Forces. “Whether they are comforting high stressed travelers at the airport or providing a gentle interaction with a Veteran at the clinic, the Brusseau’s and their therapy dogs provide an exceptional service to our community.”
Felix adds, “These four are such a blessing and valuable part of our SAF team, spreading kindness everywhere they go!”
Across the country and around the globe, American Red Cross therapy dogs use their time and talent to serve the community in unique ways. They comfort disaster survivors who may have lost everything after a storm, veterans receiving medical care at hospitals, and military families in need of support before, during and/or after deployment.
Be sure to give Archie a Red Cross welcome!
Click here to learn more about how the Red Cross helps service members, veterans and their families.
“I’m super grateful for people who gave blood and made it possible for me to live…”
The phrase “saved by blood” was something I always associated with a great Easter sermon – that is, until a stranger’s blood literally saved my life 35 years ago. Gratefully, that person cared enough to be a donor, and doing so, saved two lives on that fateful day.
Mother/daughter duo DeAnna and Mandy volunteered together at the Red Cross blood drive held at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Waconia, MN on Jan. 31, 2023.
I was a 23-year old soon-to-be mother of a new baby girl, and unlike so many other expectant mothers, I loved being pregnant! I loved the feeling of life inside me as she squirmed and kicked and reminded me that she was coming. I loved making baby blankets and spending long hours oohing and aahing over the baby girl clothes in the discount store near our home. My husband and I talked often and excitedly about the day when she would finally join our little family.
One beautiful early June afternoon, I could feel the summer sun calling to me. Our two-year old son, Matt, was as thrilled as I was to be going on a long walk, and our hearts were light as we made our way toward the duck pond that we often frequented.
Matt tightly held the breadcrumb bag and chattered energetically as we walked along. Then the moment he could see the pond, he begged to get down. I lifted him out of the stroller, taking a mental picture of his radiant face as he enthusiastically bounded toward the ducks. “Duckie, duckie,” he called, as he went. From their reaction, I’m pretty sure that they were as happy about his visit as he was to be there.
After he had emptied his bread bag, I lifted him again to put him back in the stroller. It was then that I felt the muscles pull in a strange way across my swollen belly. It didn’t feel right. There wasn’t much I could do about it in that moment, except to slow my pace as I gingerly made my way back home. The stroller felt much heavier than it had before, and I knew I needed to be off my feet as soon as possible.
A few hours later, I found myself in an emergency room, losing blood so fast that even the medical staff seemed worried. I had a condition known as placenta previa, something that had taken the life of many an expectant mother through the years. Apparently, the combination of the long walk pushing a stroller, and lifting our little son in and out of it, had put extra pressure on the womb, and caused the bleeding to start. And it didn’t seem to be slowing or stopping.
One of the many worries in this equation was that our baby girl still needed another 10 weeks in the womb in order to survive. Our neonatologist was particularly scared, given that our daughter also had an open spine and would need surgery right after birth. Our obstetrician was worried – and we were terrified.
The next 24 hours passed like a bad dream. I was in and out of consciousness, vomiting until there was nothing left in my stomach. The lights seemed to burn at my eyes whenever I tried to open them, and the voices around me often seemed far away. In fact, there were times when I almost felt disconnected from my own body.
I do remember one very lucid moment when I awoke to see a unit of blood flowing into one arm, with an IV in the other. As my eyes fluttered open just then, no doubt reflecting the confusion I felt, Dr. Parker explained that a blood transfusion had been necessary to save my life, not to mention the life of our little girl.
Several units of blood and many hours later, I awoke to find my husband next to my bed still holding my hand. His eyes were blood shot and he looked as if he hadn’t slept in days. He smiled wanly at me as he said, “you’re finally back with us.” He told me that they thought the bleeding had nearly stopped, and that it looked like I was going to be okay.
That was the first miracle. The second came five weeks later, when four-and-a-half-pound Mandy was finally placed in our arms. She was premature, but her lungs were formed, and she was beautiful! She had a full head of dark hair and bright blue eyes that looked from one of us to the other.
In that moment, I smiled tiredly down at her, knowing that we had both been saved by blood. The seemingly small act of a stranger had produced great miracles that changed the course of our lives and our family’s history forever.
We’ll never be able to thank our anonymous hero, but if you are someone who cares enough to donate blood, just know that someone out there is thanking God tonight for you. You are a hero to somebody!
I’m super grateful for people who gave blood and made it possible for me to live to give birth twice more after that and be here to raise my children!
This blog story was written by DeAnna Murphy – American Red Cross co-blood program leader for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Waconia, MN, blood donor, author and Top 100 Global Coaching Leader. She is also the mother of three, and grandmother of four. She currently lives in the Minneapolis area.
Want to be someone’s hero? Schedule a blood donation today. Simply download the American Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit RedCrossBlood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) to make an appointment or for more information.
Red Cross volunteer welcomed help and hope after devastating home fire
Sterling Molby and his two children survived a home fire experienced a devastating home fire in northern Minnesota. Submitted photo.
On the day Sterling Molby answered my call he was busy, very busy, searching for anything he could save from the debris being turned over during cleanup of his burned home before winter took hold of northern Minnesota. His dwelling was, for the most part, reduced to ash that needed to be boxed and shipped to a place that would accept it. He hunted for, and found, a small steel box with photos.
“I’m watching to see if anything is salvageable,” Molby said.
Looking through to the remains of Sterling Molby’s home. Photo: Athena Thomsen
The fire happened in October on a Saturday evening after he grilled steaks for his two children who ate up and then went to the basement to watch TV. Molby, upstairs and in a ‘food coma,’ noticed an orange glow outside on the deck and ran to get some blankets that he used to smother the flames of what quickly become an inferno engulfing his home. He ran to his children and together they fled to a neighbor. A 30-mile-an-hour western wind ramped the flames and made looking back a pain he never thought he’d experience.
“I checked on my kids again, sat in the front yard and watched my house burn,” Molby said.
“Local help has made the devastation a little easier,” said Sterling Molby, whose home, in Brainerd, Minnesota, burned down in October, 2022. Photo: Athena Thomsen
Molby knows tough times. He served on two deployments with the U.S. Army in Iraq where he witnessed the impact of explosives. He worked for years finding places to live for homeless veterans. These experiences led him to becoming an American Red Cross volunteer supporting blood collection as a drive coordinator for eleven years. Molby “knows how amazing the Red Cross is,” having been there, especially during his military service, seeing people use Red Cross services and being around it.
“I feel like I’m helping saving lives and what I do has value,” Molby said.
So, when a firefighter told him to call the Red Cross he did without hesitation and spoke to a disaster responder who gathered information and details about the fire and making sure Molby and his children had a place to stay. Within thirty minutes he received financial assistance for temporary lodging and other immediate relief. Red Cross responders followed up in the days after asking what, if anything, his family needed. He’s grateful for support from the Red Cross and other community groups, particularly those for veterans.
“The outreach has been humbling. Local help has made the devastation a little easier,” Molby said.
Since the fire, the ups and down have been as a friend told him they would be. Molby’s doing what he can to be there for his children during this traumatic event and its aftermath while also moving ahead with plans to rebuild. The fire spared his garage and woodworking tools, which he’ll use to start making his home, again
Story by Lynette Nyman/American Red Cross. Click here to learn more about and to support the work of Red Cross in Minnesota and the Dakotas.
“I’ve loved every minute of it,” exclaims Nancy McKenney who has been a Red Cross volunteer for 30 years.
McKenney, from Onida, South Dakota, became a volunteer in 1992 when a friend of hers from Pierre encouraged her to look into it. She joined because she “wanted to help people.”
Since then, McKenney has volunteered on more than 100 local and national disasters – including home fires, floods, wildfires, tornadoes and hurricanes – continuing her quest to help others.
Nancy McKenney – pictured
“We’re so grateful for Nancy’s 30 years of service with the Red Cross,” says Nick Cluppert, Senior Disaster Program Manager, Red Cross Minnesota and Dakotas Region. “Without dedicated volunteers like Nancy, we would not be able to fulfill our mission. She gives so much of her time and is truly a gift to our organization and the people she helps!”
Nick Cluppert, Senior Disaster Program Manager and Nancy McKenney pictured at a volunteer recognition event held in honor of Nancy’s 30 years of volunteer service, Nov. 14, 2022, in Pierre, South Dakota.
One of McKenney’s most memorable experiences was right after the 9/11 attacks when she was volunteering at a satellite office of the Pentagon. A woman who had lost her mother in the attacks approached her and asked if she had time to talk. “She’d talk and I’d listen – I think she had survivor’s remorse and she was a basket case,” McKenney recalls. “I really think I made a difference and I hope that she was able to get through it.”
Being deployed to Canada in August 2017 to help disaster relief efforts following a wildfire in was McKenney’s favorite deployment with the Red Cross. “I had my passport, so I said sure I’d go.” She helped at the front desk of the Red Cross shelter where she directed people, so they received the services they needed. “The countryside was so beautiful and the people where so gracious and glad to have us there,” she recalls. “It was a wonderful experience – you can’t imagine the smiles and gratefulness of all the of the people we helped.”
Nancy McKenney receiving an appreciation plaque for 30 years of volunteer service from Richard Smith, Executive Director, Red Cross serving central and western South Dakota.
“I’ve gone out about four or five times a year,” says McKenney. Last year alone she was in Texas, New Mexico and New Orleans for weeks at a time. “This year it hasn’t worked out because of some health issues and I’m staying closer to home.”
McKenney continues to make her mark. Although for now she’s no longer going across the country to help, she’s putting her energy and compassion to good use right in South Dakota. She’s meeting with Emergency Managers across the state to keep relationships strong and establish locations for Red Cross shelters if needed in the future. And she’s working with local fire departments to make sure they have working smoke alarms to install in homes without them.
“I enjoy staying busy and talking to everyone – if I had to stay cooped up behind four walls I’d go out of my mind,” McKenney adamantly declares. “I need to do something to help people. I can just imagine all my belongings on the sidewalk after a home fire and not have anyone to turn to. I know I need to help them a little bit.”
She always finds ways to talk about the Red Cross including recruiting others to join her. “If you’re a people person the Red Cross offers lots of volunteer opportunities. I’ve made a lot of friends through the Red Cross – we’re one big family!”
Nancy McKenney celebrating 30 years of volunteering with the American Red Cross.
“I love what I do! Some of us are getting old. We need some young blood – it would make my day if I inspired someone to join the Red Cross!”
Whether you’re a people person like Nancy or prefer to work behind the scenes, the Red Cross has volunteer opportunities for you. Visit redcross.org/givetime to find your fit.
15-Year-Old Receives National American Red Cross Recognition
Sydney Raley, American Red Cross Certificate of Merit recipient. Photo: American Red Cross
Sydney Raley, a 15-year-old McDonald’s employee in Eden Prairie, had been working a typical Saturday shift at the drive-thru window, when she leaned out to inform a customer that her food was on the way and noticed the customer struggling. The woman was choking on a chicken nugget.
Syndey sprang into action, informing her manager and the customer’s daughter to call 911 and then jumping out the drive-thru window to help the customer by performing an abdominal thrust. She was unsuccessful at first, but with the aid of a bystander she was finally able to dislodge the food and clear the woman’s airway.
Sydney credits the bystander and her first aid training, which she received both at the age of 11 at a Red Cross Babysitting and Child Care training class and at Red Cross CPR and AED training in high school, for the successful save. Knowing how to respond during this type of situation allowed her to stay calm and collected as she completed all the necessary checks and steps to save the customer’s life.
This past month, Syndey received the American Red Cross Certificate of Extraordinary Personal Action for her heroic actions. This is one of the highest awards given by the American Red Cross to an individual who saves or sustains a life by using skill and knowledge learned in a Red Cross Training Services course. It is intended to exemplify the highest degree of concern from one human being for another who is in distress.
Sydney, center, with her parents and brother. Photo: American Red Cross
At the presentation ceremony Sydney was able to reunite with the reporter who first broke her story along with others who helped spread her story and achieve international recognition for her heroism. Many in attendance were able to reflect on the inspirational nature of her actions, including Sydney’s parents who commented on the letters and messages Sydney has received from around the world detailing the hope for humanity that she has instilled in so many.
We are incredibly proud to be able to recognize Sydney with the American Red Cross Certificate of Extraordinary Personal Action and hope that Sydney’s story will continue to inspire others to receive lifesaving training and help others in times of need.
“Well, I’m doing ok, now. At least the water isn’t in the trailer,” said Darlene Tomczak, referring to the Rainy Lake Basin flooding that started in May. “But the skirting, insulation and ductwork are all ruined.”
Originally from Canada, Darlene moved to the United States in ’64, for – you guessed it – love. She and her late husband survived their share of hardships over the years, including other floods, but “this one is by far the worst – just devastating – worse than 2014,” she added.
“This time the water came up fast. I told the kids, we gotta get you out now or we won’t get you out,” Darlene said referring to her daughters and granddaughters who were visiting her at the time.
View of Darlene Tomczak’s home, Rainy Lake, MN. She and her family had to be rescued from rising flood waters via boat. May 2022. Submitted photo.
Her daughter and sons rescued Darlene from Rainy Lake via boat. “We were lucky,” she said. In the following weeks, she stayed with her daughter and extended family, waiting on mother nature.
Flood waters receded slowly, revealing not only mud and sand, but mementos of drier days. Water pumps drone on keeping additional damage at bay as people watch their electric bills rise like flood waters.
Bill Parker, from Side Lake, MN, is one of the many Red Cross volunteers who helped with those so deeply affected by this disaster. Assessing their immediate needs, including safe shelter, help with food and health services, cleanup supplies, and emotional support, he determines what services Red Cross can provide and what our community partners can do.
Darlene shares a smile outside her home. Submitted photo.
“My jaw dropped open and I almost lost my teeth!” chuckled Darlene, referring to the support from the Red Cross. “But they probably would’ve helped me with that too.”
Part of the Red Cross recovery process includes getting money into the hands of disaster victims as soon as possible to support their specific needs. In Darlene’s case, the funds came at the perfect time – helping her pay the electric bill for her water pumps running 24 hours a day. “My jaw dropped open and I almost lost my teeth!” chuckled Darlene, referring to support from the Red Cross. “But they probably would’ve helped me with that too.”
Darlene is just one of the hundreds of people Red Cross disaster responders continue to help as they wait for the flood waters to finally go down.
Since the Rainy Lake Basin waters began to rise in May, more than 70 Red Cross disaster responders (+90% volunteers) have supported sandbaggers, community members and people directly impacted by the floods, including:
32,527 snacks and beverages
1,120 physical and emotional health services
150 residents impacted by flooding received direct financial assistance
1,403 meals delivered from partners at the Salvation Army
1,220 cleanup kits comfort kits and emergency supplies
“Red Cross volunteers were grateful to help people like Darlene affected by these historic floods,” said Dan Williams, Executive Director for the American Red Cross Northern Minnesota Chapter. “We always need more people like all of the volunteers who helped with this response to raise their hand to help our neighbors in need,” he added.
“The support from local Government, business community and response partners was incredible. Huge thanks to the International Falls Coca-Cola distributor, the Virginia Walmart store, Cub Foods and the United Way of Northeastern Minnesota (among many others) for their amazing nimbleness and generosity.”
I’ve been donating blood to the American Red Cross ever since I was 17 years old.
I’m not sure what attracted me initially to contributing to this non-profit that has been around since 1881. It may have been a desire to give something essential that wasn’t simply money.
I was just a high schooler after all, working at a Save-A-Lot supermarket in upstate Pennsylvania on the weekends at the time. I wasn’t exactly flush with cash.
It may have been a desire to finally overcome my fear of needles. I’d suffered a crippling syringe-phobia ever since I was five and had to be strapped down to the examination table for a booster shot.
Certainly not a preferred early childhood memory.
Probably it had to do with the idea that the simple action of giving a pint of my blood could help someone’s life, or even several people’s lives. That appealed to me more than giving other things, like money, time, or labor. As the Red Cross states, “Blood and platelets cannot be manufactured; they can only come from volunteer donors.”
Since that initial decision to donate blood, I’ve given 23 times.
If I’m able to donate about four times a year for, say, the next 30 years or so, that means I could potentially donate up to almost 15 gallons of blood. I’ve given nearly three so far. You can donate whole blood every 56 days. While it would be great to be able to make it in perfectly on cue, it doesn’t always work out that way.
I’d like to donate 20 gallons of blood over my lifetime. I think that’s a reasonable goal.
When I lived in Philadelphia I donated like clockwork every two months at the donation center on Spring Garden street near Center City. On the way back home, I’d drive past John F. Kennedy Plaza, aka Love Park, and admire the famous red sign with the swooning letter “O.”
After moving to Williston, ND during the oil boom my donations became less frequent. Sometimes, when my work schedule allows, I’m able to make the blood drives that take place on occasion in nearby Sidney or Fairview, MT.
Other times in the past, I’ve actually driven six hours to Saint Cloud, MN to donate at the Red Cross center located in town. The phlebotomists there are friendly, and often they ask where I’m coming from. So when I mention Williston, they give me these weird looks. You drove six hours just to donate blood? At the Red Cross? Aren’t there places closer you can donate? Yeah. There’s United Blood Services, but I don’t give there. I’m a bit of a loyalist. The Red Cross takes me back to high school.
Hey, everyone’s sentimental about something. Music, movies, wine. You stick a Red Cross needle in my arm to draw blood, and suddenly I’m feeling nostalgic.
– Dean Brooks, a loyal and dedicated Red Cross blood donor
While it’s nice to donate blood and know I may have helped save somebody’s life, I also do it because it makes me feel good. I follow a strict dietary ritual the day before, eating foods rich in iron. Lots of fruits and vegetables. A big breakfast.
And, of course, drinking plenty of water. Always make sure you are well-hydrated before donating blood.
Seriously, I’m like an athlete prepping for a big game before I give blood. You’ve probably never met someone as excited to have their blood drained as me the day before a draw.
Giving blood compels me to stay active and in shape. When you donate you receive a mini-physical. They take your temperature, measure your hemoglobin levels, and take your pulse. When you go in for your appointment, the technicians there will have you fill out a lengthy health screening questionnaire.
While the Red Cross check-up is not a substitute for a full-body one by your doctor, it’s a good, cheap way to keep an eye on your health.
The Red Cross screens your blood before giving it to anybody, so if you have a disease or some kind of health problem, they’ll tell you. In my last donation, the Red Cross informed me that I had developed reactive+ Covid-19 antibodies. This means, according to the Red Cross anti-body test results page, that, “Antibody levels were detected at levels high enough that your plasma may be used as convalescent plasma.”
So, hopefully my blood went to someone who needed a leg up fighting that virus.
I have been told by several doctors that I have “great blood.” Which is no surprise. I work hard eating right and staying fit. I expect my crimson essence to be premium 94 octane.
I also think those who donate like me do so out of some unconscious need to affirm their own health and vitality. Some guys rip down the highway at 80 MPH on a Kawasaki motorcycle to “feel alive.” Me, I have a needle stuck in my arm to drain off a pint. It may not make for a Red Bull commercial, but donating blood is essential for millions of people every year who need transfusions or blood components to survive.
There’s also a very cool thing the Red Cross does that makes the ordeal worth it. They let you know where your blood donation went.
Usually just a few weeks or so after your donation, the Red Cross will send you an email with a message like the one above. It’s uplifting to know not just that your donation helps, but specifically where it did so.
Have you donated blood before? Or given thought to doing so? I know a lot of people are held back due to fear of needles, or concerns they’ll pass out or get sick.
Yeah, I’ve been there myself.
The whole blood donation process is mostly painless. I won’t lie, though. Sometimes it can hurt. It usually depends on the person sticking the needle in your arm. There’s a lot of finesse to finding the vein and inserting the syringe just right. I’ve had experiences where I barely felt anything. Other times the technician had to go digging around to find the right spot, and left me with black and blue marks. That sucked.
But look at it this way. You’re almost certainly going to have to have blood drawn at some point in your life anyway. Especially as you get older. You’ve probably already had blood work done up after an appointment.
At least if you get into the habit of donating regularly, you’ll get used to it. And you’ll be saving lives along the way. You might even become a freak like me and actually enjoy giving blood.
The technicians at the Red Cross are considerate professionals. They’ll make sure everything goes smoothly. It’s normal to feel light-headed after a blood draw. Having blood taken effects everyone differently. I’ve only had one instance where I felt like I was going to faint. That was likely due to being underfed and dehydrated before going in for my appointment. But the process has generally been a smooth one for me over my twenty-plus year Red Cross blood donation career.
This is why it’s so important to eat right and drink plenty of water before going in. Check out the Red Cross page on Tips for a Successful Blood Donation for more important details.
Republished with permission from Dean Brooks, novelist. His original post was dated June 14, 2022, on World Blood Donor Day, when Brooks completed his 25th blood donation. World Blood Donor Day is a day the American Red Cross joins blood collection organizations around the world to recognize the importance of a safe and stable blood supply and the donors who generously give to help save lives and enhance solidarity in communities.
American Red Cross 