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Judy DeBuse's
I’ve been part of the Puget Sound Blood Center community, as donor and volunteer since I moved to Olympia 30 years ago. During WWII my mother took me to a blood drive to see my dad giving blood as part of the war effort. That image was powerful—Daddy with his arm outstretched, giving his blood to help our soldiers and sailors. I wanted to give blood just like him when I got big, and I did. I gave on a regular basis, and reached an important milestone: donating my 100th unit of blood! I was encouraged and thinking that maybe by age 90 I could make it to another milestone. That’s when cancer caught up with me. I had surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy, thinking, “Time’s a’wastin’; when do I get to donate again?” The tiresome after-effect of my therapies put me back in the hospital last fall with more surgery. I remained cheery but weary until a nurse told me that my red blood count was low and I would be getting 3 units of blood. “Oh no,” I said, “I donated blood; I never wanted to get it back again!” It was a very emotional moment. As a donor, I never considered what it takes to get blood to those who need it, or how recipients might feel. Soon I was restored to nearly normal counts. Now, several months later, I’m thankful to be just dandy again, and hope to be a donor again one day. |
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“I donated blood; I never wanted to get it back again!”