Joshua Rhoades: Donating on Faith

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Sep 1, 2016 | April Josselyn | @apriljosselyn

Joshua Rhoades, MT(ASCP), Clinical Laboratory Technologist in the Infectious Diseases Serology Laboratory at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, has been donating blood for more than 10 years.

Rhoades enjoys the convenience of the mobile blood drives at the Superior Drive Support Center where he works. The mobile drives allow him to get away from the busy, day-to-day work in the labs, donate blood, have a cookie and juice, and then return to work. In his interview, Rhoades acknowledged his appreciation of the hard-working staff at the mobile blood drives because of his previous experience as a medical technician.

Comradery at Blood Drives

Rhoades enjoys the connection that blood donation offers between the staff and the “regulars” whom he encounters during his donation appointments. “It’s fun to see the same faces when I go in for my donations,” Rhoades says. “It is something that makes you slow down and think about the small things in life that we can do to help others.”

Change Fear into Faith

When asked what recommendations he has for those who might be hesitant to donate because of a fear of needles, Rhoades provided an inspirational response: “Maybe the small victory of overcoming the fear of needles will be the first step to overcome other obstacles in a person’s life.

Rhoades adds that he is grateful to be healthy and able to donate, and he encourages those who cannot donate to go along and support someone who can or find other ways to volunteer.

For more information about donating blood in Olmsted County in Rochester, Minnesota, call (507) 284-4475 or email donateblood@mayo.edu. For more information about the Mayo Clinic Blood Donor Center, visit www.mayoclinic.org/donateblood.