I was thrilled when I finally turned seventeen. This gave me an opportunity to donate blood at our high school blood drive. Donating blood has been a "must" for our family, and my 86 year old grandfather has set this fine example for our family. He has been donating blood since he fought in the Korean War and he has instilled the act of donating in each of his family members. It is because of my grandfather that donating blood has become such a priority in my life.

Donating blood really hit close to home at our high school on more than one occasion in the past year when several close friends and members of the community became ill or were involved in tragic accidents. Our friends and classmates were given a second chance at life because of the generosity of giving blood. Thankfully, many high school students had previously donated blood and we were able to find comfort in knowing that we did our part to help save their lives.

More importantly, donating blood could potentially save the life of many United States troops fighting for our country or a mother who has lost too much blood while delivering her precious newborn. I also encourage my classmates to participate in blood drives because they can help save the people they hold closest to their hearts; an elderly grandparent, a young sibling, or a parent. One thing that has always amazed me about donating blood is that my blood will be of use to so many people in need, regardless of their age or gender.

As Student Council officer, I have played a significant role in supporting the high school blood drives long before I was old enough to donate. The high school has been extremely successful in gaining the support from the community to meet and exceed our goals for the blood drive each year. As student body president, I have been successful in my attempts to recruit students for each blood drive. I encourage my fellow classmates to donate, explaining that their donations will be greatly appreciated by the blood recipients.

I feel strongly about donating blood and I believe that the opportunities to donate should be taken advantage of throughout one's lifetime. There are many Blood and Tissue Center drives that take place at universities, high schools, and many work places; these blood drives take place for many days at a time at the convenience of the community. With so many opportunities to donate, every person can find the time to donate blood and I strongly encourage them to do so. 

James Haecker

"Your grandmother died a couple of minutes ago." I burst into tears. After my mother told me this I couldn't think, breathe, or even contemplate what my life would be like without my grandmother. All of my life I always had her there for me. Nevertheless, I now know that she died happy and as a result of medical technology and blood transfusions, I had the opportunity to see the biggest smile on my grandmother's face after she read my acceptance letter to the University of Texas at Austin.

My grandmother died of leukemia. When I was 12 years old I read about leukemia, realized how horrifying it was, and decided that I would devote the rest of my life towards my grandmother's needs as she did for me when I was younger. When I was born my mother and father couldn't leave their job to take care of me because of our severely low income at the time. Luckily, my gracious grandmother was there for me and took me in as her own son for six years until I was ready to attend the first grade. She devoted the majority of her time to taking care of me and in my opinion she is the epitome of an altruistic individual.

When my grandmother was alive I always referred to her as "mom." I don't remember when or why I started calling her this, but it could very easily be inferred it is because she was like another mother to me. As her only grandchild, I am proud of my grandmother. Despite her low income she put all three of her children through college, a first in my family history, and always emphasized the importance of acquiring a quality education when she spoke to me. Throughout my high school career I visited my grandmother not only to comfort her because she had leukemia, but also because I constantly wanted to reiterate to her that all of the things I had accomplished would have been impossible without her guidance. I knew that leukemia could shorten the amount of time she had to live, but I always tried not to think about it. The treatment of my grandmother's leukemia required that she receive constant blood transfusions, and even though I hated to see the needle marks on my grandmother's arms, I knew that it was necessary to keep her alive. A couple of months ago when I cam home from school, my mother told me that my grandmother had been rushed to the hospital earlier that day. A few days later I received my acceptance letter to the University of Texas at Austin, the very university that my grandmother and I decided I would attend. I rushed to the hospital to sit at my grandmother's bedside and cheer her up with my good news. It broke my heart to see her in her current condition, but I knew she would be happy to see me and my acceptance letter. I showed her the letter and read it to her out loud. When I read, "Congratulations on your admittance to the University of Texas at Austin," my grandmother cried. I couldn't read any further. I held her hand and said, "Without you this wouldn't have been possible. We did it. Thank you so much."

Jonathan Hillis