April 10, 2024
The Red Cross and Holly Butcher
Submitted by Damon Marin '20
Ever since the Coronavirus has radically affected our daily lives in many ways, I have been looking for healthy ways to cope with these feelings of uncertainty and helplessness. I have read articles, exercised often, changed some eating habits, and even started meditating, but there was something still missing. Somehow, I did not feel like I was making a positive difference in my community as a student.
This is precisely why I started donating blood more often and even became a volunteer with the Red Cross as a Blood Donations Ambassador. There is also another reason why I decided to get more involved. Her name was Holly Butcher, and although I never met her in person, she had a significant impact in my life upon reading her very last post on Facebook.
Unfortunately, Holly passed away due to cancer complications back in January 2018. I truly recommend reading her post as it provides an inspiring message. “That’s the thing about life; It is fragile, precious and unpredictable and each day is a gift, not a given right.” (Holly, 2018)
The very last part of her message certainly struck a chord when she wrote, “Blood donations (more bags than I could keep up with counting) helped keep me alive for an extra year – a year I will be forever grateful that I got to spend it here on Earth with my family, friends and dog. A year I had some of the greatest times of my life.” (Holly, 2018)
So, if you still have feelings of uncertainly and helplessness, I highly encourage you to donate blood. It is a tangible and rewarding way to make you feel good with the added bonus of saving lives in the local community. On my end, I promise to keep donating as often as I can and hopefully, we can save more lives together since the need for blood is still ongoing despite COVID19.
Lastly, do not be afraid of setting an appointment since the Red Cross is taking extra precautions to ensure all donors are kept safe and healthy during their donation. https://www.redcrossblood.org/give.html/find-drive
Sincerely,
Damon R. Marin
Veterans Resource Center
Link to full Facebook post below:
A bit of life advice from Hol:It’s a strange thing to realise and accept your mortality at 26 years young. It’s just…
Posted by Holly Butcher on Wednesday, January 3, 2018
***Special thanks to Dean and the Butcher family for allowing me the opportunity to share her story.***