When I was 9 my father suffered a severe stomach ulcer. My mother, who was very pregnant at the time, had to wake us up in the middle of the night to take my dad to the hospital. I remember waiting in the hallway with my dad on the floor while my mom was getting my sister, and watching my dad bleed out. At the hospital my dad was able to receive a blood transfusion, he had lost so much blood! I remember the doctor explaining what a blood transfusion was to me and my sister and said that the procedure was only successful because someone donated their blood. I asked if I could meet this person to thank them, he said no because this person was a stranger. In my 9-year-old mind, I couldn’t understand why this person would do such a thing. Now that I’m older, this is the memory I keep and the reason I donate. Every child deserves more time with their parent.
