I love donating blood.
I have a special kind of blood, called CMV negative, which means it can be given to newborns and preemies.
The moment the American Red Cross told me this, they created a donor for life. Nothing can keep me from donating every two months for those sweet little babies needing a little extra help.
Nothing, that is, except a low iron count.
You see, one of the hurdles that every prospective blood donor has to pass is a quick finger-stick to check the oxygen-carrying and iron-containing part of your blood, known as your hemoglobin level. If your hemoglobin concentration is within a healthy range, and you’ve met all the other screening requirements, you can donate blood.
Although I’ve given blood for years and have always been within the healthy range for hemoglobin, this year I had two attempts in a row where I was not able to give blood. I was devastated!
Each time, I went home from my aborted blood donation appointment feeling sad and low. I had never realized just how much giving blood means to me – but it truly means the world. Knowing that I have a special ability to help babies in need makes me feel worthwhile. I adore feeling like I’m helping to make this beautiful planet of ours an even better place.
When I wasn’t able to donate any red stuff for several months, I felt so disappointed and sad. I thought about all the people who could but don’t donate blood – and yet there I was, wanting so badly to donate but not being able to! It was a frustrating time for me.
Thankfully, in addition to eating lots of healthy, iron-rich foods to boost my iron, I also got a special tip from one of my friends at the American Red Cross: Flinstones vitamins.
Yes, believe it or not, chewable kids Flinstones vitamins are the secret hack for getting your blood hemoglobin numbers up. They still taste exactly the same as they did when I was a kid in the 1970s – and that is not necessarily a good thing. But regardless of how they tasted, they sure worked for me!
After just a few weeks of taking my Flinstones vitamins daily, I went back to my favorite American Red Cross blood donation spot and this time my hemoglobin numbers were perfect. I was so thrilled to be able to donate for the babies once again.
My blood technician was just as happy as I was, especially when she heard that I’m CMV-negative and a Hero for Babies. We both almost cried and had to take a selfie to celebrate the occasion!
I can’t tell you how good it feels to be an active donor once more. Now, I’d love to help others to donate blood, too.
If you’ve never donated blood and you’d like to give it a try in 2024, let me know – I’d love to go with you! I had a friend take me the first time I donated and it made a big difference. Seeing how comfortable she was, and joking around with my friend and the American Red Cross blood donation staff, put me right at ease.
I’d love to be able to pay that forward and help someone else develop a lifelong habit of blood donation!
