The CragBaby

I strive to volunteer once per week and lately have been searching for new volunteer opportunities that are more serious in nature and have stronger impacts. My latest find, which I have blogged about a little in the past, is donating platelets at ARUP. I really like this opportunity because the ARUP donations are used locally and current demand in certain blood types, one of which is mine, outweighs supply.

So far I have only been able to donate platelets once because in order to give one has to be perfectly healthy, and lately I seem to continually have a cold. However, I have an appointment again next week and am stoking up on the vitamin C in preparation.

Platelet donation is an odd volunteer experience in comparison to what I usually do because for an hour and a half there is a needle in my arm and I do experience some side effects during the process (being chilled from the blood re-entering at a cooler degree in comparison to the body and having my lips tingle from what I believe they said was a loss of calcium). But just knowing that a local person is using my platelets to continue living is an awesome feeling. Plus, what other volunteer experience requires you to sit, eat snacks and watch a movie. =)

This entry was posted on Saturday, December 1st, 2007 at 6:35 am and is filed under blood donation, volunteering. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.