Red Cross- Blood Donations helped saved this man's Life
Volunteer Michelle Adams


American Red Cross
Sharing a Wonderful Story on how Blood Donations helped saved this man's Life.

The battle often begins with a phone call that no one ever wants to receive. After experiencing extreme fatigue and fever, Arthur
Bourget of West Gardiner, Maine, went to the hospital for tests. When he received the dreaded news, he instantly resolved to fight
with all his strength.

“I get a call from my doctor. He asked me to put my wife on the phone with me and he explained to us that he had no other better way
of telling me this, but that it appeared I had leukemia,” said Arthur. “I looked at my wife at that exact second and I told her, I
said, ‘I’m going to fight this to the end. Leukemia is not going to kill me.’ And I put it in my mind at that point that leukemia was
not going to kill me.”

Arthur began chemotherapy immediately. Between July 2007 and December 2009, he was hospitalized for more than 150 days and received
28 blood and 34 platelet transfusions as part of his treatment. Even as a former blood donor himself, the importance of maintaining a
well-stocked blood supply to assist patients in hospitals across the country really hit home for Arthur.

“I had committed to my wife that I was going to beat leukemia no matter what, and I was going to do that, but what I wasn’t going to
be able to do was survive without the blood that I needed.”

Arthur greatly appreciates those who step up to donate the gift of life, providing vital help to patients bravely facing cancer and
other illnesses.

“If it wasn’t for the generosity of volunteer blood donors, I would not be here today,” said Arthur. “My daughter would not have a
father, and my wife would not have a husband. Thank you and please give blood. You may never know the life you have saved, but I
guarantee they will never forget you.”

Today, Arthur is in remission. He is a faithful advocate for blood donations and was awarded the 2017 Real Heroes Blood Services
Award by the Red Cross Maine Chapter for his efforts.







Blood Donations

Blood Donation: 5 Tips to Overcome Your Fear of Needles
by American Red Cross January 17, 2018

This National Blood Donor Month, the American Red Cross is working hard to ensure that lifesaving blood and platelet donations are
available for patients who need them. However, this winter has been a challenge because severe winter weather has had a tremendous
impact on our ability to collect blood and platelet donations.

This year alone, snow and ice have forced us to cancel nearly 500 blood drives causing about 13,000 uncollected blood and platelet
donations. To combat this, we’re urging regular and first-time blood and platelet donors of all blood types to make an appointment to
give now.

As a means of encouraging prospective donors, the Red Cross gives several recommendations for overcoming your fear of needles so you
can make a donation and save a life.

For starters, the charity recommends immediately telling their workers about your phobia so they help make the process as tolerable
as possible. Bringing along a friend or family member to talk you through the donation can help a great deal as well. They can even
donate alongside you so you can both go through the ordeal together.

Next, the Red Cross suggests listening to soothing music while you donate. This can be all the more effective if you implement their
fourth recommendation and remember to breath deeply, since deep breathing is proven to lower your blood pressure, calm your nerves,
and even boost your levels of empathy. You can also visualize happier memories in your head as a distraction from the needle.

Finally, they suggest focusing on the fact that overcoming your phobia will inevitably help save a life.


https://www.redcross.org/give-blood

Lifesaving donations are needed and appreciated every day. Far more people need blood than GIVE. This is the most wonderful opportunity to "pay it forward." I go to Bonfils blood centers, of which there are several on the west side of town. I would recommend looking at the website to see if you may qualify. A donor must be a basically healthy individual. A questionnaire and a few quick tests will determine if you are healthy enough. I would recommend beginning with WHOLE blood, where one "unit" of blood is drawn. It is used for any situation where a patient has lost blood. Once you get the hang of that procedure, which is not very time consuming, you may want to consider donating platelets and/or plasma, which is often needed for cancer patients. I am very grateful to have the good health to do this, and my blood is even pure enough for babies. These products are in such great demand that it is often given to a patient the next day (after extensive testing). This process is longer and also takes awhile to get used to, but giving this gift is more than enough incentive to keep me---and many others going on a regular basis.

I am not recommending Bonfils OVER Red Cross. I have no experience with RC. The point is simply this:
If you are able, GIVE BLOOD! Make a day of it: have breakfast or lunch out, see a movie (no heavy lifting for four hours, so
no HOUSEwork:-), maybe some shopping. It is a good feeling, knowing that you yourself will HOPEFULLY never need blood infusions, but if you
do, you have already done your share.