Emily Craig, Gaston County Chapter, Gastonia, N.C.

There are certainly many reasons for people to become involved with the American Red Cross, but when the organization is responsible for saving your life on two separate occasions, it would be awfully callous not to want to show gratitude in some small way.

My first encounter with the American Red Cross occurred at my birth in December 1961. Because of blood incompatibility issues, I required a blood transfusion. The Red Cross stepped in to provide blood products and also to draw blood from my father and see that I received it.

I became a regular blood donor at the age of 25 when a friend requested donor-directed blood for her toddler's heart surgery. That situation reminded me how important blood donation is to our community.

Three years later, while giving birth to my son, I lost nearly five units of blood during a complicated delivery. I survived thanks to Red Cross blood available at the hospital. Even today, I can't look at my son without being grateful to all people who give blood. He was fine, but I might not have been around to raise him had he been born in an earlier era.

I am proud to say that my passion for the Red Cross was passed to my children, both of whom have been regular blood donors since they turned 17. Sometimes our greatest contributions are the ones we leave behind.

 Read more "Why I Help" stories
 Read about the 2008 American Red Cross ad campaign, "Change a Life"