"Just 5 more minutes? I want to make sure I get every last drop."
She knows this is my usual dance before I let them disconnect. I am usually the last patient standing in the way of my nurses heading home for the evening.
1/
She knows this is my usual dance before I let them disconnect. I am usually the last patient standing in the way of my nurses heading home for the evening.
1/
We have been doing this dance my whole life - at least as far as I can remember. As a child with Thalassemia Major, my parents watched patiently as the very last drop of blood crossed the threshold into my body. And, this baton passed to me as an adult.
2/
2/
Since I have received >500 units of blood in my lifetime, I consider myself an expert blood recipient.
More importantly, I consider myself indebted to the kindness of blood donors.
I owe a debt, a debt of life, to those who volunteered their blood for my life.
3/
More importantly, I consider myself indebted to the kindness of blood donors.
I owe a debt, a debt of life, to those who volunteered their blood for my life.
3/
As far as I know, there are no studies looking at the experiences and emotions of blood donation recipients.
And so, I hope to convey my singular perspective because I wish I could say this to my donors.
Here goes:
4/
And so, I hope to convey my singular perspective because I wish I could say this to my donors.
Here goes:
4/
You are my superheroes. I owe you my life.
Through your gift, I experience the joys of life - walks with my dog, hiking with my husband, cherished time with loved ones. Because of you, I can live a life full of mundane pleasures, casual worries, and wondrous surprises.
5/
Through your gift, I experience the joys of life - walks with my dog, hiking with my husband, cherished time with loved ones. Because of you, I can live a life full of mundane pleasures, casual worries, and wondrous surprises.
5/
The immense act of thinking about another being's life and tolerating discomfort to improve the other's is remarkable.
Your act of compassion has fueled my own path to sharing kindness & empathy.
6/
Your act of compassion has fueled my own path to sharing kindness & empathy.
6/
And your purposefulness has helped me focus on finding purpose in my daily life - whether it be stopping to smell fresh ground coffee or advocating for better care for my patients.
7/
7/
I am in awe. My life is indebted to the kindness of strangers. When I despair about our world, I find solace in these acts of kindness. And, when I find myself soaring with joy, this debt grounds & reminds me that these moments are possible only through these acts of kindness.
8/
8/
Though I do not my donors' names, I feel that I know them in a way few others do.
For your kindness, I am eternally grateful. And, promise, to make every last drop of this debt worthy of a life lived.
9/
For your kindness, I am eternally grateful. And, promise, to make every last drop of this debt worthy of a life lived.
9/
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