Everyone has a reason to hold on

Every 56 days, I donate blood to the American Red Cross. I’m 17 and I’ve done this ever since I was eligible, there’s something amazing about it, it’s the simplest thing, yet it saves up to 3 lives each time. At first it didn’t seem like much, but after donating 5 times I got a phone call thanking me for saving the lives of 15 people throughout my county. I can’t put into words the feeling I get knowing that as long as I stay alive, the more lives I can save. Last March I was going through a really rough time, the only thing that helped me sleep at night was knowing suicide was an option. I dreamed of ending my life and escaping the pain that no one understood, I knew people needed me though and for that reason I had to find a reason to hold on. My reason to stay alive was to keep donating blood and to keep saving lives. I told myself it was selfish to die when I could save up to 18 people a year. I held on and my life got better. Now I’m in a similar situation, although the thought of suicide comforts me, I know I owe it to others to keep my life. I’m 17 and so far I’ve saved 24 lives, just by donating blood. Everyone has a reason to hold on, and focusing on that makes everything a little bit more bearable.