January 14, 2026

By Airik Myers, Northwest Region

Every person who walks into a Red Cross Blood Donation Center is a hero. Every two seconds, someone in the United States needs blood. And every day, donors roll up their sleeves to help strangers they will probably never meet.

Among these everyday heroes is Adam Gonzalez McFetridge, a longtime donor whose journey started in college when he tagged along with a friend to give blood.

“Needles never bothered me. The sight of blood never bothered me, and it seemed like such an easy thing,” Adam recalls.

That first donation revealed something remarkable. “The person who took my blood noticed, ‘Hey, you're O-negative. This is actually very, very valuable. Everybody can take this blood.’”

O-negative is the universal blood type, meaning Adam’s donations can be used for any patient in need. Over time, that simple fact took on deeper meaning.

“You start receiving text messages saying, ‘Your blood’s being sent here’ and showing the lives it’s affecting,” he said. “It’s really reassuring — reaffirming, really — that what you're doing is a good thing, a positive thing.”

Adam’s blood has helped patients near and far, and each act of generosity came down to one simple choice: giving a little time and a little blood.

“The ease of donating and the immediate reward you get for having donated — that’s the biggest thing I’d share with people. It’s a very simple process, and there’s a lot of reward that comes with it.”

This year, Adam reached a milestone — his 100th unit donated. Nearly three decades of service, countless lives touched, and all driven by what he describes as a small act with a big impact.

“Donating blood really is as simple as people think it is. There’s nothing special about me. I can make an appointment and keep that appointment as easily as anybody else. It’s so simple, and it literally saves lives.”

Adam Gonzalez McFetridge is a Blood Hero a hundred times over — and he’s not done yet.

“I’ll donate the rest of my life,” he says. “I’ll always donate.”