I’d like to introduce you to two important people who have been on my mind a lot lately as we approach World Blood Donor Day.

James Harrison and Eddie Ogunro.

You may have heard about James. Known as “the man with the golden arm,” he’s been in the news recently because, at age 81, he ended an amazing 60-year run in which he donated more than 1,000 pints of blood. James’ story is remarkable, made even more compelling because of his aversion to needles. That never stopped him from doing what he could to give the blood that the Australian Red Cross has estimated helped save 2.4 million babies. So, it’s understandable that he’s received all this recent media recognition.

But this is probably the first time you’ve heard about Eddie.  

He’s on our team here at Abbott, and in some ways, he has a remarkable story as well: Eddie’s a millennial who has decided to give blood.

And that has put him in some elite company.

Most blood donations are made by people over 40 years old. And young donors aren’t stepping up to fill the gap. As the largest group of donors continues to age, their numbers are going to dwindle.

Abbott has been committed to the safety of the world’s blood and plasma supply for over 40 years. As the vice president of Transfusion Medicine, I can tell you firsthand that the blood and plasma services we serve say these numbers don’t bode well for the future.

The good news is that donating is quick. The blood donation itself can be done in about 10 minutes, and the whole process takes about an hour. If you need a little more motivation, you get to watch TV or a movie of your choice, and when it’s done there are snacks and juice.

For that little amount of time, you can have a profound impact. The components from one pint of whole blood can help save up to three lives.

Each year, millions of blood donations are collected around the world to help save the lives of people who are injured in accidents, fighting cancer, undergoing surgery or battling blood disorders.

But it’s not enough. Modern medicine can’t happen without a full supply of safe blood on hand at hospitals and other care centers, ready to go.

That’s why Abbott has made it a priority to help increase the number of blood donors. For the last several years, we have remained committed to raise awareness on this important issue with our BE THE 1TM Donor movement, as well as other resources like this video and bylined article.

June 14 is World Blood Donor Day, and I’m proud of Abbott’s role in helping keep a supply of safe blood flowing. And I’m so proud of Eddie – who had donated before while in college – for deciding to start anew.

He recently shared with me: “Not only am I excited to work for a global healthcare company dedicated to helping keep the world’s blood supply safe, I’m committed to the one true volunteer act you can do that can save lives.”

But we need more Eddies.

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