Giving blood, if you’ve never done it, is easier than you think.
With another blood drive in Langley this week, we hope that a few new donors rolled up their sleeves, braved the (almost entirely painless) needle, and helped out their fellow citizens.
If you haven’t given blood, let us give you some idea what to expect.
You turn up at a school gym or a community hall or a church basement.
There’s paperwork. You’ll have to answer a lengthy questionnaire designed to ensure your blood is suitable for donation.
They’ll give you a quick test for iron – there’s a small pinprick to one finger.
Then you wait until it’s your turn. For most people, the paperwork and the waiting takes more time than donating the blood. Bring a magazine, a paperback, or make sure your phone battery is charged.
After that, it’s a 20-minute-or- so lie down.
Then you get free cookies. Also juice!
How many times in your life are you going to be able to feel the glow of pride from selflessly helping others, only to be immediately rewarded with Peek Freans?
It’s impossible to say often enough how easy giving blood is, how little effort it takes, and how vital it remains to our entire health care system.
Canadian Blood Services doesn’t just collect for accident victims. There are routine surgeries and cancer treatments every day that require blood products. A single donation can help multiple people.
So once again, we’re going to remind you: there are free cookies.
– M.C.