In 2013, I lost my youngest brother to a wildly aggressive form of lung cancer. Words and stories about this tragedy can't properly be expressed in one post, but the grief and depression all of his loved one experienced were deep and powerful enough to fill a chasm with tears.
In his memory, my family and I run annual blood drives to keep his legacy alive. During his treatment, he used 7 units of blood, which made a world of difference in how he felt. He was so fond of how he felt, he called getting his transfusions getting "true blood".
This past weekend was the fourth annual blood drive in his honor. It's so amazing to work with a blood donation center, get the word out, market it, and see how many friends, family, and community members come to donate. The opposite side of that coin is that his story is told. Our pain is visible to all. To share the impact of how blood donations make a difference to patients, it's agonizing to share an incredibly unfair and heartbreaking moment of our lives.
This blood drive was amazing, but it's also marking the fourth year he's been gone. We had 17 successful donations this year. Each unit of blood can help up to three people, so our blood drive made an impact on potentially 51 patients fighting the good fight.
If every eligible donor gave once a year, how many people could we help?
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| L-R: Sean, Mom, Jon, Me, Lindsay, Jessica, and Scott. |
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