By Flint Clouse, American Red Cross
I am ecstatic to donate at the blood drives at Nashville’s West End United Methodist Church, a congregation that has made me and my husband feel so loved and welcomed.
For over a decade, I was helping volunteers donate blood while I checked in American Red Cross blood donors. To be able to donate myself with the FDA updates meant I could finally be part of that club of lifesavers, selfless people who just want to help others.
I booked the earliest blood donation appointment I could find with the Red Cross in August 2023, then anxiously waited for that day. When my appointment came, the deferral still needed to be removed from my account, so I had to call 1-866-236-3276 to remove the deferral and reschedule for another day. While annoying, I would not let this setback stop me. Since then, I’ve donated plasma, platelets and when I’m in a rush, whole blood through the Red Cross. You may never meet that person with burns or cancer treatments, but you know you made a difference in someone’s life. After decades of watching family members depend on the generosity of other blood donors, I can step up myself.
At age 19, I don’t remember what words they used the day I was deferred three decades ago, but I do remember feeling a level rejection I had never felt before or since. And when the FDA finally changed their deferral policy, I immediately felt called to donate as soon as possible, like I was trying to make up for lost time for all the people I could have been helping.
Service to others is very important in my family. My Dad was a veteran, volunteer firefighter and EMT, and he was just simply “always helping others”. We thought about putting that on his gravestone because it took years for him to hook up the new dishwasher, but he was always helping other families. Thank you to all those blood donors who stepped up for his surgeries. I am so proud that I can finally pay it forward, donating myself.
Honestly, I feel like a hero high every time I donate blood. After decades of feeling like I wasn’t good enough, the FDA policy change means I can answer that call to help others. It’s nice to have the right to give back, and I don’t take that responsibility for granted. From cancer treatments to surgeries, my family has benefited from generous people we may never meet, and now it’ s my turn.
To explore donor eligibility information, please read more here.
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