[[ All the cool kids are doing it ]]
I remember when I was a little kid thinking how cool it was that my Dad gave blood, seeing him come back from the blood centre with his little white plaster and wishing I could donate too. So as soon as I hit 17, I started giving blood! You never know who you could be helping - maybe they'll help you in the future, you never know! I think it's pretty damn awesome that one pint of my blood could make a difference to (or even help to save) somebody's life.
The process in the UK is pretty simple, just look up when and where your nearest blood donation session is and pop down. You can also usually book appointments, which I recommend if you don't fancy sitting waiting for ages! You fill out a quick form, go to a separate area for a quick test for anaemia (a little pin prick in the finger) and wait for a bed. A little needle will be popped just below the joint in your arm attached to a blood bag, once the bag is full it automatically closes off and the needle is removed. It takes about 10 minutes average to withdraw one pint of blood. You're then asked to apply pressure to the area to prevent bruising and a plaster is applied - easy!
Anyone in good health, between the ages of 17 - 65 can give blood if they weight at least 7st 12lb. You can donate every four months - my next appointment's way off in January!
I think it's a real shame that only 4% of the adult English population give blood. That's absolutely nothing compared to the amount of patients who need it and the amount of people it could help. Do something amazing - give blood.
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