Arthur resident, Susan Bursa, donated eight gallons of blood

Susan Bursa

Donate blood to save lives on March 11 at the Arthur United Methodist Church

By ARIANA R. CHERRY
Staff Writer

The human body holds up to 1.2 to 1.5 gallons (or 10 units/pints) of blood. A person can begin giving blood at 16 (with parental consent), must weigh at least 110 pounds and be in good health. You can donate once every 56 days.According to redcrossblood.org, every two seconds, someone in the United States needs blood, as it is important for surgeries, cancer treatment, chronic illnesses and traumatic injuries. One donation can save up to three lives.

One of our very own members of the Arthur Community has been saving lives for years.

Throughout her life, Susan Bursa has donated up to eight gallons of blood.

When Susan donates blood, she often does it in memory of one of her older brothers (she was the only girl among six brothers), who was killed in a car accident when he was just a teenager in May of 1960. Susan herself was only nine years old at the time.

Her brother had been in Texas and was going to attend a concert. The day before the accident, Susan’s brother called her and asked if she would like to go with him. Susan was really excited at the thought of attending a concert with her brother, but sadly, the next day, he was killed in a tragic car accident.

A single car accident victim can require as many as 100 units of blood according to RedCrossBlood.org.

After losing her brother, Susan thought that when she was old enough, she would start giving blood.

Not only does Susan just give blood in memory of her brother but she also said, “People need blood. It’s a good thing to do.”

Once Susan was 18, she gave blood for the first time. Since then, she has been saving lives with her generous donations. The farthest place away that Susan donated blood was in West Germany when she was visiting. “They even gave you a pain shot before you started,” Susan informed. Another simple reason that Susan donated she said was, “I just enjoy doing it.”

You can join Susan in her generous feat of giving blood. Blood cannot be manufactured as it can only come from volunteer donors.

To find the nearest blood drive near you, simply visit http://www.redcrossblood.org and type in your zip code.

The next community blood drive in Arthur will be Thursday, March 11 at the Arthur United Methodist Church in the Fellowship Hall from 1:00-6:00 pm. By donating blood, you have the potential to save lives.