A Bird’s-Eye View on the Impact of Blood Donation

When Malinda Burrell received an unexpected phone call asking if she was scared of heights, she had no idea she would soon be flying over the Wasatch Mountains in a helicopter, seeing some of the best fall scenery Utah has to offer.

Malinda was randomly selected among ARUP Blood Services' summer blood donors as the winner of a ride in a University of Utah Health AirMed helicopter.

"To thank our donors, we thought it would be fitting to provide a firsthand look at AirMed, an emergency service that depends heavily on the blood products they provide," said Deb Jordan, community relations supervisor at ARUP Blood Services.

The helicopter ride passed through Big Cottonwood Canyon, Guardsman Pass, Midway, and American Fork Canyon.

"It was amazing," Malinda said. "Having a bird's-eye view of all the leaves changing was beautiful. We saw the lakes, the mountains, everything. It was gorgeous."

Malinda met the flight crew and learned about the precise calculations required before every flight and the significance of every item carried onboard, including blood products. She enjoyed talking with crew members about their work and what it's like to respond to critical emergencies.

"What stood out to me was how much they appreciate what they do," she said. "They don't take it for granted. They know they have an important job to do, and they're very selfless about it."

Malinda has been a longtime donor at ARUP. She began donating in high school and now pledges to donate five or six times a year. One of Malinda's favorite things about donating with ARUP is receiving the phone call that her blood has been used to help a patient.

"Those calls make my day," she said. "When I get that call, I picture someone who needed help, and I know I got to be a part of that. And they have no idea. I just love that."

What started as a personal commitment for Malinda has grown into a family tradition. "I love it so much I recruited my family members to donate with me."

Her mother, son, and stepfather are all donors, and the family schedules appointments together on Sundays. They even hold friendly competitions to see who can finish donating the fastest.

Malinda's family saw the impact of their donations firsthand when Malinda's grandfather received several blood transfusions while he was a patient at the Huntsman Cancer Institute.

Malinda said her understanding of blood donation changed dramatically while watching a doctor bring in a unit of blood to administer to her grandfather. "That's when it hit me," Malinda said. "I thought, 'That could be my blood.' Seeing how much it helped him made everything real."

The AirMed flight gave Malinda a unique, bird's-eye perspective on the world. As she reflected on her experience in the helicopter and as a blood donor, she stated, "We all are small, and we all make mistakes, but if we all just try to do some good and help each other, we all can make a big difference."

Call 801-584-5272 today or visit our Donor Portal to find out how you, too, can donate.

Jacob Stevens, [email protected]