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““Donations are down more than 10 percent across the country,” said Stephanie Millian, a spokeswoman for the American Red Cross, told ABCNews.com. “We have almost half the amount of available blood on the shelves compared to last year.”[1]
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Just this time last year America hit a level of blood shortage that was nothing less than historic.
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“The American Red Cross today reported dangerously low levels of blood and platelet supplies, with 50,000 fewer blood donations than expected for the month of June. The Red Cross calls upon all those who are eligible to give blood to visit Red Cross or other collection centers to donate”[2]
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My Dear Readers I apologize but I am going to impose on you a task, a journey. The ultimate goal of this task/journey will bring you great happiness and a feeling of community and togetherness I have seldom found in this life. The first task? I want you to look up a Red Cross Donation Center near where you are, right now. I will help and make it easy, follow this link:
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[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="334"]
Step One to Giving Blood & One Pint of Blood Savesa Three Lives.[/caption].
Enter your zip code and this site will display donation locations nearest you. Now; either write down this address or send it to your iPhone or Andriod via text message, print out the page with address/location information, or take a picture of the screen with your cell phone. Now, you are ready to go.
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Next, take a moment to view this video and read a little information about the whole process of donation (this only applies if you are a virgin [hehehe] to giving blood, veterans… why are you still reading and not driving?). Here is a link to get you started on preparation:
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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=SKvcwYpLesI]
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That was a nice fun video. Now you are prepared, get to the donation center and help Save Three Lives!
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Now, for all of us (that for medical or other reasons cannot donate blood) I have an alternative. GIVE! There used to be a saying, on television, when I was a child. “Give freely and give often!” I cannot think of a better cause to exercise that frame of mind. Blood supplies in our great nation are embarrassing low. Out of all the industrialized nations America has the lowest emergent supply of human blood. One day, all too soon, the will be a Katrina or Oklahoma City and… we will listen to the news that night and hear these words; “For the first time in our nation’s history more Americans died, today, because of a lack of blood than from the ________ disaster. This is a dark day in American history.”
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I hope that day does not happen in our lifetimes, My Dear Readers. Let’s do our best to make sure it doesn’t. Therefore, if you simply cannot give blood. I want you to right now follow this (security assured) link to the Red Cross and GIVE! Give a dollar, give five, and just give.
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“Thank you!”
That came from the bottom of my heart, and the depths of my soul. Blood is life, people. You really have no idea… the importance… of a single act, of giving. I got ‘hooked’ here in Southern California. While working @ Long Beach Memorial Hospital (pictured below) I was made aware of the real, but hidden and unspoken, crisis America faces. And, from what I read in the news, it just seems to get worse and worse. We don’t give blood the way we used to, we Americans. My Dear Readers? I am recruiting YOU to help change that failing of our people.
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[caption id="attachment_714" align="aligncenter" width="300"]
Long Beach memorial Hospital and Miller Children's Hospital in Long Beach California.[/caption].
I charge you, not just open your mind to this problem. Open another person’s mid to this failing. Share, and share and share again. Only through this kind of action can we hope to alter this terrible shortage. Thank you. Thank you for your time. Thank you for your heart. Thank you for your mind. Thank you.
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