During the holidays I made my 50th blood donation. It took me a long time to get there - I started donating in college when I was 18, but frequent business travel to the USA and a recent month-long stay in hospital meant that I have often been barred from donation. However, it has been worth the wait. My dad died two years ago of leukaemia and lymphoma. During his two years of treatment he received around 50 transfusions of red blood cells and platelets, so I now feel like I have paid our family's debt and everything from now on puts us in credit!
