Everyday Heroes…or as I like to call myself…Joe Schmoe

by Janet Snyder, blood donor, administrative assistant, lover of all things made of sugar

When people ask me why I donate blood, I always say it’s the chocolate old-fashioned donuts. I also tell them it’s because my husband is only a few pints ahead of me and I can’t let him win.  But in all seriousness, it’s the only way I know that a regular old “Joe Schmoe” like me can actually save a life. I mean ... are you a doctor? a nurse? a fire fighter? a cop?  a member of a search and rescue team? Are you someone who saves lives on a regular basis? Well I’m not any of those, so how do I save a life? How can I make a real difference in the lives of others? 

Blood. It’s something we all have. It’s something that most people can donate and still function normally, and it’s something that is essential to live. Take just a moment…if you can think of an easier way for someone like me to save a life on a regular basis, please tell me.  I’d be all over it!  But keep in mind that I don’t have a whole lot of money to donate, and with a full-time job and an hour-long commute (each way), my time is pretty limited. So what can a “normal” person (Joe) like me do to make a difference? Donate blood.

It’s interesting that I was asked to write a blog post at the beginning of 2010.  As you know or can probably relate, this was a difficult year for a lot of people for many reasons.  Two thousand nine was not too terribly difficult for me, personally, but for those close to me, it’s another story.  In this year alone, a co-worker’s husband tangoed with a streetcar, another co-worker had a second lung transplant, and my little cousin was hit by a car.  All three of them needed blood.  MY blood. They needed ME.  I looked up my blood donation history and found out that I donated only a few days before my friend/co-worker’s first transplant in 2008 (heart and both lungs).  We won’t ever really know for sure, but we like to say that I helped her!  Is that the coolest thing, or what?  Helping your friend.  Helping your neighbor, your aunt, your co-worker, a stranger…that’s HUGE!  I don’t think enough people realize HOW huge.  Have you read the other blog entries from blood recipients like this one or this?  HUGE!  By the way, I’m happy to report that with the help of doctors, nurses, other health care professionals, their families, and ME and other Joe’s…my co-worker’s husband, my other co-worker, and my little cousin are all very busy working on their rehab!

So…if it doesn’t cost anything, and it doesn’t hurt, and it’s only about an hour out of your day (once every eight weeks), and just about ANY Joe Schmoe can do it, then why don’t more people do it? Did you know that less than 4% of people who are eligible to donate blood actually do?  I don’t know why that is.  We need to change that.  Like jury duty, we should think of it as our civic duty. Why wouldn’t someone want to help save a life? These days, when people see my colorful bandage and ask if I donated blood, I say “Yes, I saved a life today!”  Me ... Joe Schmoe.  An Everyday Hero.

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