How 15 Minutes Can Change a Life
By Bob Cowgill
As someone who has been donating blood since 1976, I’m always excited to celebrate National Heart Month in February. It’s important to remember how we can do our part to help keep hearts beating around the world. Every two seconds, someone in the U.S. will need blood. And, one pint of blood donated can save up to three lives.
Since it’s so easy to donate blood, it’s comforting to know even the smallest amount can add up to literally save lives. I witnessed this incredible impact the first time I donated blood. My entire Boy Scout troop went together to donate blood for a friend having a serious operation. I now continue to give one pint of blood six times a year, with each donation appointment only taking about 15 minutes. This means that for one and a half hours each year, I can help save 18 lives!
Since these small acts of donating blood add up to save many lives, I am excited to encourage my colleagues to commit and track blood donation through Do One Thing (DOT). DOT invites employees to commit to regular, measurable actions that are good for themselves, their communities and the company. Through our Donate Blood DOT team, we’ll be able to track and measure how many pints and lives we save and encourage more of our fellow employees to join us.
As a member of the Northern California American Red Cross Board of Directors, National Blood Donor Chair for the AT&T Pioneers, and AT&T’s Do One Thing movement, I encourage you to donate too!
Happy National Heart Month, everyone!
