Chris never misses a chance to donate

In the early 1970s the Blood Service came to our school and at an assembly asked if any one was willing and able to come to the mobile donor bus that day and give blood. There was the choice of a double period of History or free-range grazing at the after donation chocolate biscuit platter. The decision was simple. I did have to catch up on the history classes though...
My father also donated blood and instilled in his children that each of us needs eight pints of blood to stay alive. If we are going to bring another generation into this world then while they are under your care you owe it to them to have a spare eight pints available if they should need it. That's eight per child. So six kids equals forty eight donations.
What he didn't say was that you get the donating bug and if you miss a donation it makes you feel like you've let the team down. So I keep going, still primarily for the chocolate biscuits, but also because when you get to the milestones of 25...50...75...100 there is a genuine enthusiastic show of appreciation from the blood donor service staff.
At the age of 51 I ran my first marathon and then decided I would run a few more to try and raise awareness for blood donors. Now I run them always wearing a NZ Blood Donor T shirt.
So next week is donation number 105 and next marathon is number 21.
I did hear a rumour that there are a few folk out there getting some benefit from my plasma as well.That's always a good feeling! It doesn't take that much time out of your life to donate and the last time I looked I was still making the stuff and they are still supplying those bickies so if you were thinking of giving it a go, I'd say....Rip into it!