A few days after Christmas last year my grandfather died. It wasn't a shock to anyone, he had been very sick for over a year. He was first diagnosed with prostrate cancer and while the treatment for the cancer was successful it aggravated an underlying issue. It was essentially the opposite of blood cancer. In cancer, some of the body's cells grow out of control. This is a problem because it crowds out normal, healthy cells and it can metastasize or spread to other parts of the body. Leukemia is a cancer where the bone marrow produces abnormal blood cells at a high volume. Patients have to regularly undergo blood transfusions and rely on blood donors.
My grandfather's bone marrow essentially stopped producing blood cells. Those of us in the family that could give blood did (even though none of us live in the same town so he was never able to actually use our blood). It helped relieve the guilt he felt for needing so much and helped us feel like we were helping him. My grandmother (on the other side of my family) is reaching 80 years old and still regularly donates blood.
J is AB+ , nobody cares about his blood. But since I'm O+ (the most common blood type and a type that is able to give to anyone with a + antigen) I try to give regularly. I'm super righteous like that.
If you can give, please do so. If you can't, there are other ways to help as well (support those that can give, donate, volunteer...)
For my Cincinnati neighbors there's Hoxworth (and they do cool promotions like free pizza vouchers, shirts, blankets... it depends on the time of year)
For everyone else there's the Red Cross
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