# @americanredcross on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/C_Lnp10OGIG
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/72589744-americanredcross-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/e1bd65ac20.jpg
- **Posted:** 2024-08-27T17:21:27.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** American Red Cross (@americanredcross) — https://gondola.cc/americanredcross

## Caption

Mark Munson donated blood for 50 years. Then he found himself in need.

A motorcyclist for 40 years with no accidents or citations on his record, the 70-year-old went through the unimaginable when he was struck head-on by an SUV last year, just four miles from his home.

“The motorcycle was totaled, and I was very nearly totaled,” Mark said. “You can’t think about the ‘what ifs,’ but if I had been 15 seconds later, this never would have happened.”

Mark was rushed to the hospital with severe injuries: A broken vertebrae in his neck, a broken back, a broken leg, a broken rib, and a ruptured spleen. His situation was dire — he was bleeding internally and needed blood.

Five units of blood and two units of plasma saved his life.

“If [the donated blood] had not been there, we would not be having this conversation,” Mark said. “I know that now firsthand. Before my accident, the notion of blood donation was an abstract concept. It’s not abstract anymore. Now, it’s absolute.

“I’m walking, talking. It’s quite remarkable that I’m still here. It just emphasizes how important it is to donate when you can, because if you don’t need it, somebody else does.”

After the accident, he mastered physical therapy and relearned to walk — first with a walker, then a cane, and eventually, unassisted. Then came occupational therapy and returning to work in his 9th season with Portland_SeaDogs.

The Sea Dogs teamed up with RedCrossNNE in April to host a blood drive at the ballpark. For the first time since his accident, Mark was able to donate blood, adding his donation to the 36 units collected at the blood drive.

“It feels like my recovery journey is now complete,” he said. “I am back to doing everything that I need or want to do. For me, having the ability and the opportunity to donate again feels triumphant.”

#DonateBlood #GiveBlood #BloodDonor #DonatePlatelets #PlateletDonor #DonateBloodSaveLives #GiveBloodSaveLives #TraumaAwareness

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## Credits

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## Tags

blooddonor, donateplatelets, giveblood, donateblood, traumaawareness, plateletdonor, donatebloodsavelives, givebloodsavelives

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