Common Sense Health: The civic duty in our veins

By Dr. Gifford-Jones and Diana Gifford-Jones on May 16, 2025.

There’s an old quote often misattributed to Winston Churchill: “You make a living by what you get; you make a life by what you give.” Whether Churchill said it or not, the message is true. And nothing proves it better than the simple, life-saving act of donating blood.

Any doctor who has spent decades in the operating room will tell you, donated blood is a critical part of major surgeries that are happening day in and day out in hospitals everywhere. The lives of women experiencing a hemorrhage during childbirth depend on a blood transfusion. People undergoing cancer treatment may also need transfusions. Accident victims. Children with anemia. The list goes on. But surgeons, patients and their families are all witness to the frustration when supplies run low. Yet here we are, in 2025, still pleading for donors.

According to the World Health Organization, every two seconds, someone needs blood. In fact, the Canadian Blood Services reports that over 100,000 new donors are needed each year just to keep pace with demand. Yet fewer than 4% of eligible Canadians and Americans donate.

So what’s stopping people? A 2022 study from the University of Oxford found that the top reasons people avoid giving blood include fear of needles, a lack of time, and simply not realizing how urgent the need is. But the same study also revealed that people who are reminded of the social impact of their donation – how many lives they could touch – are twice as likely to become regular donors.

It’s time for a dose of common sense.

During World War II, blood drives were considered acts of patriotism. Posters read, “Your blood can save a life on the front lines!” In the 1940s, Americans rolled up their sleeves in record numbers, not because it was convenient, but because it was the right thing to do. Where is that spirit today?

In the operating room patients are counting on someone else’s generosity, and it doesn’t appear magically. It has to be stored, processed, and ready to go – long before the need arises.

Modern medicine relies on this invisible safety net. Red cells last 42 days. Platelets only five. That means the donation you make today may already be used by the weekend. It’s not about stockpiling; it’s about a steady stream of humanity doing its part.

And yes, it is part of good citizenship. We live in a time where the word “community” has been replaced by “individuality.” But community is what holds a society together. Giving blood is one of the few acts that is entirely selfless – you gain nothing material, but what you give is immeasurable.

You may not think of yourself as a hero. Most people don’t. But research from the University of Michigan found that regular blood donors often share one trait: a strong sense of civic duty. They don’t wait to be asked. They act because they can.

So here’s the prescription – not pills or potions, but a plea. If you are healthy and eligible, give blood. Not once, but regularly. Encourage your friends and family. Make it a habit, not an afterthought.

Think of it as paying forward your own insurance policy. You may need it one day, too.

In the words of the Roman philosopher Seneca, “No man becomes great without a touch of divine inspiration.” Giving a piece of yourself to help others is one of the most inspired acts you can do. And it’s right there, in your veins.

So roll up your sleeve. Be the reason someone lives.

Share this story: