Recently, I gave blood here in Tokyo for the first time. It was an altogether painless and quick experience, if a bit too sterile. (Do we really need a vaccuum pump to suck my lifeforce away? Can’t I just make a fist and squeeze?)
I’ve been giving at least once a year since I was 16. Coincidentally, the same day I donated I discovered that an American comic book writer named Jason Henderson was giving original pages of the art by Greg Scott for their “Sword of Dracula” comic to people giving blood.
This has got to be one of the best trades I’ve ever encountered. I don’t know how many of you have given blood before. I don’t even know how many of you there are reading this. I don’t know your politics, your backgrounds.
Those things are important, but their not relevent. Please, please, please, whatever country you’re in, whether you’re used to giving time, money or nothing at all, please give blood.
I can’t offer you original artwork, or in my case, stories or photos. I’m just not that accomplished yet. But please give blood, because somebody is counting on you.
By the way, Mr. Henderson can be reached here, if anybody’s interested in receiving a piece of comic book art for a blood donation.
But forget about donating blood here if you have a tattoo – no matter how many years ago you had it done and how many negative blood tests you’ve had…
the red cross also doesn’t allow “sexually active” gays to donate.
you could always lie when they ask you if you’ve been tattooed. the red cross screens anyway for all blood-borne diseases, or at least the major ones – HIV/AIDS, hepatitis A, B and C, etc.
yeah, lying is bad, but some of the red cross policies are archaic.