Blood, the Ultimate Gift

Reflections on World Blood Donor Day

The word “blood” carries a wide array of meanings, underscoring its importance to our animal existence. Being of a macabre persuasion, Grimrose Manor readers have likely spent more time thinking about blood than the average person—and the extensive continuum of associations, from literal to metaphorical.

At the mention of blood, was your first thought of a literal wound or cut? Did the word make you ponder the circulatory system with its electrical pumping heart and veins? Or did it evoke the fragility of our mortal frames, as in a blood-related condition, blood-borne disease, or even violence and war?

Or perhaps it made you recall the seeming recklessness of now-obsolete medical treatments—bloodletting or leeches? If you happen to possess a uterus, your mind might have jumped to our cycles coinciding with the moon’s, or to the birthing process itself.

Heavy (paper collage by Taryn Chase Jackson)

Alternatively, did your mind dance away from the physical and instead take “blood” to mean a child or close familial tie? Or even to a trait passed down through your ancestral line? You may have associated it with religious or spiritual beliefs—oaths, rituals, purification, the sacred.

We often reference blood when describing our emotions—from hot to cold, pointing to fear, hostility, passion, or a lack thereof. Blood demonstrates human effort and struggle. By witnessing bloodstains or commemorating the sacrifices of those who have gone before, we’re connected to other humans across time.

A Roman Catholic viaticum, or last rites cabinet, circa 1890. (Photo: Taryn Chase Jackson)

June 14 is World Blood Donor Day, an occasion marked by the World Health Organization to recognize volunteer blood donors around the globe whose donations have saved lives and encourage others to give. The date was selected in honor of Dr. Karl Landsteiner, for his 1901 research identifying blood groups. This was four years after the publication of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, which took some inspiration from the then-new but fraught medical transfusion process. Landsteiner’s work increased the safety of the procedure immensely, and won him a Nobel Prize in 1930.

Earlier this year, an 88-year-old Australian man whose plasma possessed a rare antibody passed away and will be remembered as a national hero. James Harrison donated 1,173 times (every two weeks from 1954-2018) and is estimated to have saved the lives of around 2.4 million babies. Meanwhile, Japanese scientists are starting clinical trials for artificial blood—but it may be years before that option becomes widely available.

The “Visible Man” anatomical model, satisfying the curiosities of morbid children since 1959. (Photo: Taryn Chase Jackson)

Unfortunately, blood donations in the United States have significantly declined in recent years, and despite around 62% of the population being eligible to donate, only 3% actually do. Thankfully, in 2023 the FDA finally lifted their discriminatory ban, so gay and bisexual men are now eligible to donate blood. The Red Cross, which supplies about 40% of the nation’s blood supply, is concerned about keeping pace with demand. To prevent a shortage, they’re offering gift cards and other incentives to donors. So if you’re feeling called—particularly if you have the highly coveted type O—we highly recommend finding a drive a near you.

And, since you can donate blood every eight weeks or so in the U.S., maybe even consider making it a habit. Here’s a themed playlist for inspiration!