The Gift of Life

"The greatest gift is a portion of thyself." Ralph Waldo Emerson

United Blood Services

Give the Gift of Life
by Jennifer Wellborn (Desert Saints Magazine, November 2005)

Whose life have you saved lately?

That is what regular blood donors do, they save lives. For every one pint of blood that is donated, three lives can be saved. Unfortunately, not enough people donate, which leads to severe shortages of blood supply during the most critical times of the year. In fact, only one in twenty people is a regular blood donor, and if we want to be able to maintain an adequate supply of banked blood for times of crisis, we must improve that number.

Every day donated blood is transfused to accident victims, patients with blood disorders, and others in critical condition. It is estimated that at some point in time, 60 percent of the population will require a blood transfusion. If you meet a few basic requirements, the power to save a life (or more) is literally within you.

Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "The greatest gift is a portion of thyself." As we enter this Christmas season, won’t you please consider giving the gift of life to somebody who desperately needs it? Please contact the local United Blood Services by calling 702-233-9620, or log onto http://www.unitedbloodservices.org/ for more information.