Land O' Lakes, Florida
Blood donations saved Linda’s sister’s life. Now, she donates regularly to help save others.
“My sister was having a very difficult pregnancy and needed blood throughout her pregnancy,” Linda said. “Since then, I just feel like it’s the one thing I can do that just takes an hour of my day, costs nothing, and could possible save someone’s life.”
That personal connection showed Linda just how important it is to support her community through blood donation.
“Whether it’s going to your family member, or just someone in the community that needs it, it’s so essential,” she said. “We can impact people’s future by giving them something that they desperately need, and can’t go out and get for themselves.”
Linda’s company, Holiday Inn Club Vacations, even hosts regular blood drives with OneBlood. And as Vice President of Corporate Communications, Linda is always one of the first donors on the Big Red Bus.
“I give every two months. It’s very fortunate for me that my company does support blood drives, so that I’m able to do that during my workday.”
-Linda
Linda even tracks her blood donations with My OneBlood Journey, a program that alerts donors when their donation arrives at a hospital.
“I love that I get the email that says, ‘Your blood has been sent to someone in need at so-and-so hospital or care center.’ I just love to know that it’s impacting my community.”
Linda hopes she can also make an impact by sharing her story to inspire others to donate blood.
“I think it’s important for people to realize that it’s such an easy, seamless process,” Linda said. “The phlebotomists are so professional, and I donated blood that’s going to help save someone’s life. For me, it’s personal, and it can be personal for you too.”
