Donor Feature: BJ Hall

August can be a difficult time for the blood supply. Many people become busier as summer comes to an end, school starts back up, and activities get back into swing. However, just because schedules get busier, that doesn’t mean the need for blood changes. Now, local patients may wonder where their next transfusion will come from.

Some blood donors make the decision to incorporate donating into their schedule as a non-negotiable – the same as showing up to work or taking kids to practice or recitals. This decision is lifesaving for those in the hospital who need hope for a second chance, whether that’s a one-time need for transfusion due to an accident, or patients with long-term illnesses that require multiple or frequent transfusions.

Donors like BJ Hall are who these patients rely on. BJ has been donating platelets at Carter BloodCare for over 35 years. In that time, he’s donated over 110 gallons – a milestone he called “unimaginable” – and he’s still going. Hall has an interesting way of putting that amount in perspective.

“Sometimes, when I walk through the grocery store, I’ll stop and look at the 1-gallon water bottles on display,” Hall said. “Then, I’ll try to imagine the look of 110-plus gallons on a shelf.”

It takes about eight platelet donations to reach a gallon, meaning Hall has made nearly 900 donations in his life – something that isn’t lost on him when he thinks about the importance of donating. Hall also says helping patients who need platelets is the most rewarding part of donating, and donating has benefited his conscience in more ways than one.

“Following my decision to begin donating platelets, I immediately found a great sense of peace, gratitude for my health, and well-being with the knowledge that I have perhaps helped others in their battles against unimaginable diseases,” Hall said.

To begin incorporating blood donation into your schedule, visit CarterBloodCare.org or text CBCAppt to 999-777.