To me it was not a reality...

Prologue..
i received a text message about a blood letting program on March 2. i just had to inform my friends (i'm talking about all the people in my phone book) that there would be a mass blood donation on the said date at the University of the Immaculate Conception, Bonifacio St.. i'd always wanted to donate blood, but i knew i wasn't heavy enough to reach 50 kgs. So the least i could do was to inform as many people as i could. i was texted by a friend, Donna, studying Medical Laboratory Science at UIC and she was asking me if i could be a blood donor under her name (this was a requirement for 3rd yr MLS students in UIC).. so i told her that i am not sure whether i am heavy enough for blood donation.. but then again i told her that i'd still come and if i'd reach 50 kgs, i'd donate...

Chapter 1 - Revelations of Donna
Then the day came, March 2, 2015 -Monday. i got up to get ready for work when i suddenly felt nervous... "What if i really did reach 50 kgs? Then i'd really have to let a needle into my skin and deep into my vein!" My work sked for that day was not that tight.. in fact, i have not much to do.. that gives me no reason to back out to that crazy donation...

It was almost noon and about a hundred people were in the gymnasium - some were facilitators and some were "aspiring" blood donors like me..Wow!... of course i wanted to donate blood and support the mission of the Red Cross.. but then i was also scared... "How painful would the procedure be?" - this was my main concern.. With Donna accompanying me, she assured me that the pain was just tolerable. Now, what in the world did "tolerable" mean???? This gives me a clue that this is really more painful that an injection, otherwise she would've just said that it'll be just like an ant bite! i became a lot more nervous to learn that she was the one who was going to insert a needle in my veins!! i was not oriented properly, alright! i was thinking that professionals would do that.. but then again, this was a requirement for them... huhuhu.. i was getting crazier by the minute... it actually feels like i am a subject to some kind of medical experiment... huhuhu..

Chapter 2 - Tests
Test 1. The weighing scale. i was half-praying that i'd pass this first test, and i was half-praying that i'd fail.. before me in the line was a small guy.. he weighed in and finding out that he was below 50kgs, the nurse/medical expert just sent him away.. if i'd pass this test, then this really is it - the day the Lord planned for me to donate blood for the first time ever! And so you should know that on that day, i weighed exactly 50 kgs.

There was no backing out. With all my courage lagging behind me, the only things that kept me going was the thought that i'd be able to help an MLS student gain some more experience, and that i'd be able to help that one stranger with a 450-mL blood from me.. and i'm not sure about the latter, by the way..

Test 2. i was tested for normal blood pressure, temperature and heart rate.

i was really nervous.. it was a different kind of nervousness that i felt in comparison to moments when i was preparing for class reports, oral recitations, periodical exams.. this kind of nervousness is about life and death.. i felt like i was going to die.. i thought of Jesus.. honestly, this was nothing compared to His great sacrifice.. maybe this is the least i could do.. i held on to the Lord's courage.

Test 3. Finger Prick. A mini-blood-letting activity. They had to get a drop of blood from me to check if that droplet would sink or float in a standard solution of some chemical/s.. if it floats, then i failed.. Floating would indicate that the blood in my body was just enough for me and that i had no spare blood to donate.. But i was already sure that i'd donate blood today so i knew that i'd pass.. and i really did - my drop of blood sank! Surprise!

Test 3. i had to answer a few questions on my medical history, my past and present illnesses/conditions.. they just had to make sure that i am a qualified donor.

It was already time for lunch and those proceeding to test 4 had to wait about an hour to do so because the physicians assigned to test 4 are having their lunch... i looked around me and i realized that for this activity, boys outnumbered girls. To my estimate, girl to boy ratio is 1:10.. i was definitely amazed because for the many activities i've attended to, boys are losing to girls in number (and in size, jk!). i realized, maybe boys really have some kind of longing inside of them.. some desire to contribute to something noble and important.. Maybe, they just are not able to express this desire for participation as easily as girls do.. or maybe they may not have been able to find any worthy activity yet until this.. but then again, maybe they just want to prove that they really are boys by shedding blood! hehehe..

Test 4. It's easy. The physicians just test our emotional preparedness. Maybe they just had to make sure we are not very nervous to the point that we'd pass out on or after blood letting..

At this point, i was unexpectedly growing excited.. i felt like i was a part of some kind of important historical event! Gosh! So instead of being scared, i found myself encouraging other blood donors.. :)

Chapter 3 - This is IT !!

Donna was ready to bled me in my right arm. i was scared again, but i had to tell her that i trusted her, because i also actually did, and it would also lessen her fear of hurting me.. :) More than anything, what i've learned that moment was that my friend was actually more scared than i was.. and i really appreciated her more for that.. it was painful - the insertion, but i was able to bear the pain.. i just was not expecting it to still hurt when they were already done inserting the needle.. so i asked all of them looking after me why does it still hurt after the needle was already placed in.. they did not answer enough to satisfy me.. they just moved and adjusted the needle inside my vein.. it felt weird.. Suddenly they told me that blood was not flowing into the blood bag anymore because my vein collapsed.. So they'd either have to bled me on my left arm or they'd have to reject the blood inside the bag. Of course,  i don't want to waste the blood and all of our efforts so i had no choice but to give them the permission to insert the same needle in my left arm.. i was all ready to cry.. "Lord, i just wanted to help.. why does it have to be this risky, scary, painful..." i felt so helpless.. i felt all my fears coming back to me.. this time it was Aiven's (also a 3rd yr MLS student) turn to insert the needle in my arm..

Epilogue
i was relieved.. it was all over.. we reached the needed 450 mL of blood. :) Honestly i wanted to donate regularly after that.. Of course, i felt a little traumatized with what i've experienced, but it was really an honor to be part of that event for a good cause.. also, i was very much honored that for my first blood donation, 2 CYAers inserted the needle into my arms. :) Perfect! God is the perfect planner ever! :D

i hope more people would find and be given the courage to donate blood. But then again, when you ask for courage, God will not give you courage but opportunities to be courageous. We just have to decide to take the first step, and God will give us the grace to do the task..

Let us support Red Cross!!! founded by Jean-Henri Dunant 

P.S. i was also inspired by kuya Paolo.. he has donated a lot of times already.. if not for him, this may be posted later than now. :)