'Overcome your fear of a needle to save a life'
EUGENE, Ore. - For Lindsay Stouve, donating blood is now part of her routine.
"It feels good," she said. "It feels really good."
Every six weeks, she goes to the Lane Memorial Blood Bank to make her donation. For this 22 year old, donating blood holds a special significance
In 1998, when she was in fourth grade, a trip to the Oregon Coast turned into a nightmare. As she and her best friend played near the beach, a sneaker wave rolled a log over the two of them.
Lindsay needed 80 units of blood to survive.
Her friend didn't make it.
It's not something that's easy for her to talk about, but she has used that event to make it her life mission to get folks to donate blood.
"There's a lot of people out there who don't realize how easy it is," she said. "Yeah, it's a little scary, but to be able to overcome your fear of a needle to save a life is huge.
Along the walls of the blood bank are pictures of those who have donated 100 times or more, including Lindsay's friend's father, who lost his only son.
One day, Lindsay hopes to have her picture up here as well.
In the meantime, she continues to give blood and ask others to donate, too.
"If you ever need blood," she said, "it will be there for you."
