By Frank Jones, American Red Cross

Recently, Pam Riley was recognized for donating a total of 20 gallons of blood through the American Red Cross, an extraordinary milestone. Yet, that remarkable achievement is eclipsed by the countless friends, family members, church members, and acquaintances she has inspired to become regular blood donors themselves.

Pam's passion for blood donation began unexpectedly in high school when, as a tenth-grader, she volunteered as a "candy striper,” teenage hospital volunteers who traditionally wear a red-and-white striped uniform and assist nurses. Her fellow candy stripers were assigned to the main hospital floors, but Pam was assigned to the blood bank.

"I felt like the ugly duckling," she recalls, "like I had been punished or was an outcast."

But what initially felt like rejection became a calling for life. Pam embraced the assignment and soon recognized the life-saving implications of blood donation. In 1969, she became a regular donor herself, a commitment she continues to this day.

During college, Pam met Buck Rusher, a pre-med student who shared her heart for service. After graduation, they married and navigated the long hours and late nights of medical training together. A pivotal moment came during a nine-week summer assignment at a hospital in the Gaza Strip where Buck felt called to become a surgeon.

Service became the cornerstone of their life together. Over the years, Pam and Buck completed short-term medical missions in three African countries to provide much-needed surgical care. At home, Buck practiced in Jonesboro, Arkansas, delivering both routine and emergency surgical care for approximately 25 years.

In 1997, tragedy struck close to home. Their dear friends Bob and Charlene Riley were involved in a devastating head-on collision. Ambulances rushed them seventy miles to Memphis for emergency and intensive care and multiple units of donated blood saved Bob's life, though both of his lower legs had to be amputated. Buck later helped arrange their transfer from Memphis to a Jonesboro hospital so that family and friends could support them during his recovery but, tragically, Charlene did not survive. The experience deepened Pam's understanding of the importance of blood donations, which often make the difference between life and death.

In 2001, Pam and Buck accepted a three-year assignment as medical missionaries in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Despite the hardships, after a year-long furlough Pam and Buck returned for another term in Mongolia. Reflecting later, Pam said, "Those years overseas were the best five years of our marriage."

Buck began experiencing troubling symptoms upon their return, and in February of 2009 was diagnosed with a brain tumor. Sadly, he passed away in June 2010.

Despite the profound loss, Pam's compassion only grew stronger. For the next decade, she devoted herself to serving her church and community by supporting those in crisis, offering prayer and encouragement, and staying closely connected to friends in need.

Pam’s friend, Bob Riley, who had already endured the loss of one grandson in addition to the loss of his wife several years earlier, faced another heartbreaking trial when a second grandson was admitted to the intensive care unit. Pam prayed earnestly for his healing. When the young man passed away, Pam stood beside Bob in shared grief.

"I was more devastated, I think, than he was," she said. Their shared experiences of sorrow and resilience eventually led to marriage three months later, in September 2020.

Through it all, Pam has remained unwavering in her mission, encouraging members of both Buck's and Bob's families to become regular blood donors, and has inspired friends, church members, and even casual acquaintances to roll up their sleeves.

The one group she finds hardest to convince to donate blood? Healthy young men.

"You mention donating blood and you'd think they're going to faint right there," she says with a smile. "I don't like needles either—but that's not going to keep me from donating."

Pam's life beautifully reflects the words of Swiss psychiatrist Elisabeth Kübler-Ross:

"The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern."

The Red Cross provides about 40% of the nation’s blood supply. Every few seconds someone in the U.S. needs blood, and a single car accident victim can require as many as 100 units of blood. Your donation can save more than one life. To find out more, click here.