Month: December 2019

Donating Blood and Stem Cells

December 24, 2019

People need blood, and people need stem cell transplants, so it’s time for us to WakeUp as a culture and does some donating, especially this time of year.

The numbers don’t lie, blood transfusions and bone marrow disease are real, and you can do something about it!! There are about 35,000 pints of blood used in the U.S. every day, according to BNL Blood Drives. That is insane, and if you never been on either side of it, you wouldn’t fathom how massive that is. There are people in need of blood every day for life-saving reasons, so if you have never donated, now is the time to step up and give back. There are blood donation centers all around the country, click that link, and you can find one in your area.

There are many reasons for receiving blood; some people wind up in horrific accidents and lose significant amounts of blood. In contrast, others need transfusions because of complications from disease and health-related issues. Regardless of why they need it, just knowing that 35,000 pints of blood are used each day should wake you up like a blast of NARCAN and get you running to your nearest donation center.

Knowing that could be you one day if you accidentally run a red light, or your child if they are injured in some freak accident on the playground. Who knows when, and who knows how? We don’t, so it’s best to be prepared. Giving your blood to others will ensure that there is a local supply in your community for your blood type, and that could mean something if you find yourself in the emergency room one day in need of a few pints of Dracula juice.

Blood talk aside, bone marrow donors are also needed as more than 44,000 Americans will need a bone marrow transplant this year alone. Bone cancer is killing people, and you can do your part saving a life by donating. The technology behind it all is getting better; it’s less painful and has a faster recovery time than ever before.

The new year is almost here, step up, and donate blood and bone marrow. People need you, and one day it could be you in need. It’s time to WakeUp and smell the coffee people, the disease is real, and it could happen to you or a loved one anytime. So make the right decision and start looking into some of these resources on donating blood and marrow.

stem cell donation services for cancer patients

Blood Donation Resources:

• Find a Blood Drive
• Blood Donation Overview
• Donation and Transfusion Education

Stem Cell Donation Resources:

• Find a Stem Cell Donation Center
• Stem Cell Donation Overview
• Stem Cell Donation Education

These are just a few national resources that anyone can access and review. Do your research, find local donation centers that represent a definite cause, and their not just a profit-hungry organization getting into the business for financial gains. Plenty of these donation centers were built because loved ones have been lost, make sure you are giving for the right cause, and to the right organization so that you know your blood or stem cell donations wind up helping the right people.

I’m Honestly Fed Up With All The Bad News, So I Illustrated 50 Of The Best Ones From 2019

December 7, 2019

We are often bombarded with fear-mongering and shocking headlines that make us feel that the world is falling apart.

However, while it’s important to report on problems and issues, I believe there is so much good in this world that it needs to be found and promoted just as widely.

Because of that, I started The Happy Broadcast. It’s an anti-venom to the vitriolic rhetoric that pervades our media. Also, this year, I’ve illustrated even more happy news than in 2018.

We need more positive news to acknowledge that the world is actually getting better little by little.

More info: Instagram

#1

Image credits: the_happy_broadcast

When I’m working on The Happy Broadcast, I try to pick news that has an international appeal and touches themes like animal rights, climate change and science. News that shows how much we’re progressing on many fronts despite being often bombarded with few-mongering headlines.

I think there are many reasons why negative news is dominating the media. It’s like a sudden disaster a, it’s more compelling than, for example, little improvements. Bad things can happen quickly, but good things aren’t built in a day, and as they unfold, they’re out of sync with the news cycle.

As humans, we have this thing called “negative bias” that make us respond quicker to bad or dangerous situations. Nowadays, this bias is getting in the way of our happiness and well-being, and even our productivity because most of the narrative surrounding us (print, online or mobile) is that the “world is ending”.

#2

Image credits: the_happy_broadcast

I think we should find a balance between negative and positive news. From politics to climate change and economy, negative and bad news surrounds us everywhere we go. A potential solution could be to limit the amount of bad news, basically slow down our personal news cycle, adding some positive news to our “news diet” to make sure that our outlook on the world is more optimistic. Also, it’s very important to invest time to deal with misinformation and the reliability of news sources.