How Blood Donation/Transfusion Has Changed My Life

Although many people, especially my age, do not understand the importance of blood donation or transfusions, I have always understood and related to the impact it makes on our communities and lives without people even noticing.

You see, I come from a family of first responders (my grandma was an EMT, my step dad is a firefighter, and my grandpa and two uncles are Police Officers) so I have been one of the kids that knows more about emergencies and tragedy that most. I have had my grandma come home after running an infant to the hospital in an ambulance that she had done CPR on for a very long period of time. I have been the shoulder to cry on for my step dad after working a car crash where two teenage girls were medi-flighted to Oklahoma City in critical condition whom had lost a lot of blood. I know many aspects of healthcare that a lot of people do not like to talk about, but because of that, I also know the stories of success and healing that comes with those jobs, such as the stories of how the person from that certain car accident lived thanks to a blood transfusion.

I have also experienced another side of blood transfusions that most do not even think about, the after affect. I am a CNA, Certified Nurses Aid, and I work in an assisted living center. Due to me working in long term healthcare I deal with a lot of geriatric patients whom have experienced blood transfusions that saved their life and allowed them to have more time to enjoy life in all aspects. I absolutely love my job because I get to find my joy in the faces of my residents that have overcame so much in their life. I get to hear the success stories and how much they have done and learned in their life. I get to experience what life is like when you have a long, plentiful life, and blood transfusions help many people do just that.

Not only have I seen many aspects of blood transfusions, but I also donate blood. I am a senior in high school and have donated blood through OBI five times over the last two years, and I plan to donate again as soon as I am eligible, and receive my green chord for graduation. I am one of the lucky people that have the health to be able to donate so I do it as much as I can. I love knowing that I am helping someone, because I know that I could be saving someones daughter, son, mom, dad, brother, or husband. I have seen the after affect, so how could I not help be a part of the impact.

All in all, I have seen many aspects of blood transfusions and will continue to see them since I am going into nursing, (I start school at Northwestern Oklahoma State University this fall to start on my BSN.) Since I come from a family of first responders, I have been around this part of healthcare my whole life and appreciate the impact that blood transfusions have had on my life and community. Without it, there is no telling how many people my family members wouldn’t have been able to save, or how many of my residents wouldn’t be able to tell me their amazing stories.