Bloody Well Get on With It
It annoys me how few people give blood. Well done to thos of you who do, and commiserations to those of you who can't. But for the rest of you - shame on you.
I did a quick poll in the office and got the responses
"I know I should"
"I did once"
"I'm not sure if I can"
"I don't like needles"
Well let's look at these...
"I know I should"
...and so? No one who lives in a city has any excuse for not giving blood. Especially london. There are permanent sites all over the place and temp ones pop up regularly. Just type your postcode into the website and away you go. I expect you'll find somewhere you could donate within 24 hours. People in less rural areas do need to plan ahead but even there you'll find somewhere you can donate within the next month. Go! Do it now!
"I did once"
Well fecking well go and do it again. Once doesn't make you some sort of hero. Women can donate every 16 weeks and men every 12. Type your postcode into the website and book to go again online now.
"I'm not sure if I can"
Are you waiting for someone to spontaneously tell you you can? There is a donor health check online. Go.
"I don't like needles"
I sympathise. I don't like needles. I would suspect that very few people give blood because they like needles. Only a very select element of the population like needles. If you have a real life phobia then fair enough. But for everyone else...do you dislike needles so much that if you needed a life saving blood transfusion you would refuse it? If you would be happy to accept a transfusion you should give blood. Tell the nurse you don't like needles and they will reassure you. Don't be selfish.
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I have been a blood donor for a few years now but am afflicted with tiny veins. I've only been able to donate 50% of the time because they couldn't find a suitable vein the rest of the time. I would willingly give blood every 16 weeks if I could, despite my dislike of needles, but I can't. I hope at least one person reading this will make an appointment to donate.