Longtime blood donor hits milestone of 100 pints, saves countless lives
CHICAGO -- Donating blood can save three lives.
Andy Seidler, a long-time blood donor, has helped countless people. In fact, he hit a milestone after donating more than 100 pints of blood.
"For me its routine now, I almost feel guilty if I don't go to the day on my next donation time frame, Seidler said.
Seidler wants people to know how simple it is to save a life.
"It's a no-brainer to take an hour of your time, an hour and a half tops, and you're helping save three people's lives," he said.
Seidler has been donating blood and helping organize blood drives since the 1970s.
"There are so many great needs in the world for like when the holidays come up, vacations, people go on vacations but that need never ceases. Blood donations don't take a break or a vacation," he said. "I'm just doing what I do right. We're here to help out as an organization and as an individual. We can't just sit there passively and do nothing. Disasters or not there is always a continual need."
Every 56 days, Siedler is registered and ready to donate without hesitation.
"As long as my body allows me to do that, I think it's actually keeping me in good health doing this so I'm going to keep this going. If they allow you to go to 100 years, doggone it, I'll do it," he said.
The ABC 7 Great Chicago Blood Drive will be held Jan. 10 at two locations -- Merchandise Mart, 222 W. Merchandise Mart Plaza in Chicago; and at the Drake Oak Brook Hotel, 2301 York Rd. in Oak Brook. Hours at both sites are 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Register by calling 1-800-Red-Cross or by downloading the American Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting redcrossblood.org (enter sponsor code: "ABC7Chicago")
