Charli

Donor

Behind a voice that lilts with the energy of youth, a loudspeaker rumbles, the words unintelligible. A cheer, and the voice is interrupted, its source momentarily distracted.

“I'm sorry,” says Charli Bultmann into her cell phone, “I'm at a track meet.”

Of course she is. This 16yearold sophomore at Carrollton High School in Carrollton, Missouri, is fully engaged in life. She's perfectly capable of doing two things at once, maybe three or four. She won't miss a thing on the field. Talking right this minute about her first experience giving blood is just no big deal.

Actually giving blood isn't a big deal, either, Charli says.

“For me, donating blood was easier than taking my driver's test. I was kind of scared of the needle. I went into the building and waited in line for a little while. Then I talked to some woman. I had to be tested and fill out some paperwork. They gave me a bottle of water, took me into the room and took my blood. That needle wasn't as bad as the needle pricks when they stuck my finger for the first tests.”

Whew.

It can be hard to rein in that kind of enthusiasm and guide it down a narrow road. But Charli doesn't need much guidance, apparently. She seems to have her compass pointed in the right direction.

About giving blood for the first time in her life, she says, “It's for a good cause--to save someone's life. And it's simple.”

The compass needle didn't even jiggle that time. Talk about finding the essence of an idea and stating it clearly and concisely. This kid should be a politician. But she wants to be a doctor.

“I definitely want to go to college, major in medicine, with a minor in Spanish. I love working with people. The human body is interesting to me. Next year in school I'll probably learn a lot about blood.”

Okay. This energy should be harnessed. Global warming would be one worry gone. A million homes could be powered for a year.

Charli comes about this remarkable--or maybe just unrecognized in other kids--motivation honestly. Her dad is an architect who, she says, does everything with her. Her mom has gone back to college, majoring in psychology. Her aunt is director of the Community Blood Center's Distribution Center.

Is there a little behindthescenes prodding involved? Maybe. But Charli doesn't seem to mind. And she's not alone in her desire to donate. A majority of her class gave blood for the first time on March 6, 2008.

To give Charli a welldeserved last word, “It was cool.”

Please share your experience as a blood donor or transfusion recipient.