Resolved to Save a Life

By Mimi Teller

This time last year Los Angeles native Kevin Skaggs made a resolution that in 2022 he would save someone’s life. As an online marketer by day, he had no idea how to accomplish this goal, but once he figured it out he didn’t save just one life, he possibly saved multiple lives by making several blood donations throughout the year to the American Red Cross.

In a quest to achieve his aim Kevin and his wife hit the internet for research, learning along the way how essential ample blood supplies were for surgeries, cancer treatments, sickle cell patients and traumatic injuries. This line of research led Kevin’s wife to discover a Red Cross campaign where blood donations made in January automatically entered all donors for a chance to win tickets to Super Bowl LVI. For Kevin this was the ultimate win win: Save a life and go to the Super Bowl.

While Kevin didn’t win the tickets, his donation proved beneficial to his well-being in another way: Kevin had just been diagnosed with high blood iron levels and his doctor suggested he donate blood as a means to quickly lower his blood iron. Zero doubts were left for Kevin — becoming a first-time blood donor was a no-brainer.

“I was a little scared, I had heard a few stories about people passing out” Kevin shared, “When I arrived for my first donation I started talking to other donors and everyone was super nice, it was comforting to have others walk me through everything. One lady even came and checked on me during my donation, and she was just another donor.”

In addition to finding his first blood donation easy, there remain additional perks Kevin continues to enjoy. They include the free blood donation app on Kevin’s phone which makes it easy to schedule his next contribution, learning his blood type, receiving basic health and medical indicators with each visit and most of all, tracking where his blood donations were used. Thanks to Kevin’s 2022 resolution, people’s lives were helped in Santa Monica, Orange County and as far north as San Jose, CA.

“My advice to a first-time donor is don’t be scared!” said Kevin, “Red Cross are professionals that draw blood every day hundreds of times. In all my donations I’ve never seen anyone faint. Passing out shouldn’t scare anyone and I can highly recommend donating blood. As an Eagle Scout I was taught to help others and I plan to give blood now on a regular basis.”