Botz: Blood is the gift of life – literally

by Dennis Dalman

editor@thenewsleaders.com

Everyone has a great gift to give that’s coursing through their veins, but most never think about it. The gift is blood, the most precious gift of all, said Mary Botz of St. Joseph.

Botz is a prime organizer of an upcoming blood drive, dubbed “Kids Can,” at Resurrection Lutheran Church in St. Joseph. It will take place from noon to 6 p.m. Thursday, June 29. Botz and others are hoping people who’ve given blood before and those who never have will come to the blood-collection site to give what she described as the “gift of life – literally.”

Another organizer of the event is Shannon Koenig of Richmond, who lost a young son to cancer and who is a strong advocate for blood donations. (The St. Joseph Newsleader plans to do a feature story about Keonig soon.)

Botz became involved in blood drives about 10 years ago because she experienced first-hand the need for blood to save lives. And she doesn’t regret a minute of it. When talking about blood, Botz can rise to eloquent heights.

“People run around at Christmas looking for the perfect gift to give,” she said. “And running right through their veins, if they’d realize it, is the best gift of all – the gift of life. And it’s a gift we are supposed to share.”

Botz said most people have never seen the dramatic life-giving power of blood. In some cases, sick and pale individuals brighten up almost instantly during a blood transfusion, their skin turning a healthy rosy color.

“It’s very humbling to watch,” Botz said, “because you realize somebody took the time to donate that blood to literally save the life of another person. It’s a very sacred thing.”

In the past 10 years Botz and her extraordinary crew of volunteers, many of them children, have hosted 24 blood drives (the June 29 one will be the 25th). All told, 1,610 pints of blood were collected during that decade with the potential of saving 4,830 lives. That is because once collected, blood is processed into four life-giving components: platelets, white blood cells, red blood cells and plasma. Each is used for different kinds of emergencies and/or treatments.

In the past 10 years Botz and volunteers, under the auspices of the American Red Cross, have held blood drives at other venues, such as the American Legion in St. Joseph and the basement of All Saints Academy. Resurrection Lutheran Church is the ideal place, partly because the church co-partners so enthusiastically for the “Kids Can” blood drives and partly because there is plenty of room at the church.

“Resurrection Church has just been so awesome to us,” she said. “We’ve done at least 18 blood drives there.”

Typically, about 70 to 80 people give blood at one of the “Kids Can” collection sights. Some, however, have to be turned away, such as those who have not hydrated themselves well enough to donate. Hydration, Botz said, is very important. At least three days before a blood donation, the person should drink up to eight glasses of water each day so the body is very well hydrated.

With suggestions from the American Red Cross, Botz learned to schedule blood drives during times when other sites are closed because of busy holidays, such as the days on or near the Fourth of July and times near Christmas. That is why she and the others always host the drives in St. Joseph during those times, helping fill in for other places that must be closed for busy holidays.

“We started out 10 years ago as just a group of friends who all wondered what can we do to help?” Botz recalled. “We called the effort ‘Our Village.’ Our kids became involved and have been involved happily ever since. My youngest daughter, Alaina, started helping when she was only 2. She’s 13 now and still helping.”

She often tells her mother, “Next to Christmas, the blood-drive day is my favorite day.”

Botz’s other children – Ellie, 17; and Carter, 15 – also help. And so does her husband, Jeff, who donates blood every time.

There are about 10 children who love to help. They greet donors, offer them food, they give encouraging words to people while they’re giving blood.

“We always have donated soup at our Christmas season blood drive,” Botz said. “Volunteers bring so many crockpots filled with homemade soup. The atmosphere is so warm and comforting, and the blood drive is always like a family reunion. There are jokes flying, camaraderie, so many connections. Oh, it’s so awesome, this community of ours. And the kids work so hard, and they love to help out.”

People who intend to donate blood at the “Kids Can” event should remember to hydrate themselves with water starting three days before the event, and they should eat a good, healthy meal before arriving even though food and refreshments will be provided at the church.