Holly Brees
A personal message to high school volunteers from
Holly Brees,
Sgt. Bluff-Luton Class of 2007
My mother was diagnosed with cervical cancer in September of 2004. After tests and biopsies, she received several units of blood from local donors. She was hospitalized several times within the next few months receiving over 12 units of blood from Sioux City donors. My mom lost her battle with cancer on January 19, 2005, but without those precious gifts of blood, it would have been much sooner.
I’ll always remember Homecoming. My mom helped me pick out my dress and was armed and ready with the camera when my date came to pick me up. I’ll never forget just waiting for Christmas to come that year. Simply hoping that we would get at least one more with her. She made it so special and the term family took on a whole new meaning. These simple things were such a blessing to us and each of these final memories was made tangible by people who were willing to give of themselves.
Until then, I had always taken a fairly simple approach to high school blood drives. I would tape the sheet in the office, work my half hour shift, and hope that we got some people to give.
After realizing that the gift of blood added months to my mom’s life, I became much more involved. I took an active role in the recruitment and set up of blood drives at Sergeant Bluff High School. I’m unable to give blood myself, but I made it a personal goal to make sure that Sergeant Bluff always exceeded the donor goals set by the blood bank. I made sure posters were made and hung up, literally covering our school. I enjoyed recruiting donors during lunches. I’ve learned that a little bribery never hurt anyone, and to most students, the thought of getting out of class for awhile usually offsets any unfounded fears.
It was my job to make sure every student had a locker reminder of when they’re to give blood, to make sure all the teachers and staff knew who was giving when, and to make sure the snack table stayed well stocked.
From my experiences, I’ve learned how important it is to reach out, help someone, and give blood. You honestly never know when your gift might be extended to a neighbor, friend, or even a member of your own family. I am truly thankful for all the people who chose to give a little part of themselves for the sake of someone else. They are heroes to everyone whose lives have been impacted by blood donations. Thanks for all you do for our community, the example that you set for others and for those last precious memories with my mom. You have definitely given the gift of life.
