Every volunteer donor comes to give blood for their own unique reasons. For some, it’s a simple way to give back to their community. For others, they give blood in honor of loved ones. For John Geddings, he gives in memory of his brother, and he’s moved by his faith to give the gift of life.

“Blood is the only thing man can’t make – my giving blood has a lot to do with my faith,” said John on what moves him to give blood. 

John has witnessed people who are hurting and needed blood throughout his life, so he aims to give blood as often as he can at drives near his home in Chapin, in central South Carolina.

“My youngest brother, Joel, and his wife were in an automobile accident. It was very traumatic – he was ejected from the vehicle and needed a lot of blood when he got to the hospital,” said John as he remembers the event many years later. “If I could meet the person or people who gave the blood that my brother received, I would say ‘Bless you and thank you so much for caring enough to give blood so that my brother possibly would have a chance to make it.’’’

After the accident, John’s brother was paralyzed for over 20 years, and Joel later became sick. John was a blood donor by this time, and when he visited Joel in the hospital, he noticed all the tubes of medicine his brother was receiving. Then he saw the bag of blood and made a commitment from that point forward; he would give blood as often as he could to help someone in need. Unfortunately, Joel has since passed away.

“Mankind and modern medicine, as great as it is, cannot reproduce blood. It has to be given from people,” said John on his motivation to give and inspire others to do the same. “After going through the trauma with my brother, I want to tell everybody ‘It would be a blessing for you to consider giving blood – as often as you can, by the way.’’’

Now having donated more than six gallons himself, John feels it’s his calling to spread the word about blood donation. He’ll tell you ‘blood donation only takes about an hour of your time, it’s painless, and you are going to feel so good after you do it. You’ll automatically want to do it again.’

“I’ve been bolder about asking people to consider giving blood every time I get the chance,” said John about his personal mission. “It’s great, of course, for the person who needs your blood, but it’s a wonderful gift to yourself to know you’re going to save somebody’s life.”

Currently, the American Red Cross is experiencing a severe blood shortage. Join John in giving blood and help ensure there are blood products on hospital shelves for when patients need it most. Find a blood drive near you.