Dignan

Not only is it easy to remember for an optimist (Be positive!), but because I donate blood, I found out that I have something called “Baby’s Blood.” This means that my blood hasn’t developed certain antigens that most adults develop as they age, making it safe for my blood to be donated to babies, as a baby’s blood can’t fight off the antigens and it would kill him/her.

It is a rare thing (I’m told through the American Red Cross) to lack this antigen in your blood (it doesn’t damage you). And obviously it’s important if you have this type of blood to donate regularly.

I threw a Scavenger Hunt – with a big party at the end – complete with (oh this is so college and I thought I was past this) a bathtub full of ice and beer. Everyone was still hyped up from running around taking odd pictures (team member standing in water, kissing another team member), retrieving weird objects (hot pink toilet paper) and answering crazy questions (How tall is the indoor climbing wall at Dick’s Sporting Goods?). I picked up some pizzas on the way home from the one-hour photo place (where everyone had dropped off their disposable cameras earlier), everyone grabbed a beer, and we turned up the music and had a great time laughing at the pictures. The more the merrier!

This is time-consuming (several hours), but no more painful (a stick in the arm) than donating blood. Also, cancer patients and other plasma recipients schedule chemotherapy, etc. around the time when YOU donate, so this is much more personal than simple whole red blood cell donation. This is almost a one-on-one donation. But you don’t see the recipient. Trust, though, that the plasma is going directly to help save someone’s life. Someone who desperately needs it.