SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) – For David Butt, donating blood is a regular occurrence.
Butt has donated enough blood to potentially help save 33 human lives, and that number is still growing.
“Donating blood is a fun thing to do,” Butt said.
He also donates platelets, which can help cancer patients. While he doesn’t know everyone his blood has helped, he feels a responsibility to keep showing up.
“You count to eight. Eight pints make a gallon. You count to eight; the pints are another gallon. So I’m watching myself and pushing myself to continue moving up this ladder because it’s something I can do,” Butt said.
David is living proof that it only takes a little bit of time to make a big impact.
“In February and once again in March and in April, my donations all were targeted to someone, and that made me feel pretty good that I knew that someone nearby, someone in central Illinois or possibly the Metro East area, was benefiting,” Butt said.
ImpactLife Donor Director Tara Matheson explains that consistent blood donations help maintain a stable blood supply across central Illinois.
“Always a chance that the blood’s not going to be on hand when there’s someone [who] needs it in a trauma situation or a cancer patient receiving transfusions,” Matheson said.
Butt’s consistency will soon land him in the National Blood Donor Hall of Fame later this year.
“I was surprised that our organization was able to get me as a second inductee in a consecutive year, and I was pleased,” Butt said.
David encourages students and families at the University of Illinois to compete in the Big Ten Blood Donation Challenge.
The winning university gets $1 million toward health services on campus.
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