Why More People Should Donate Blood Sounds Like Fate
you used?” This sparked Lin’s curiosity. She went on a mission to discover the identity of the blood donor so she could thank them for saving her life.
Eleven years ago, Lin Xiaofen of Thailand was in a terrible car accident. She barely survived and was in critical condition when she arrived at the hospital. The severe
blood loss put her in a coma. Fortunately, Lin’s doctors were able to save her life with 10 pints of donated blood and 2 pints of isolated platelets. Once stabilized, Lin made a slow but full recovery. After her near-death experience, Lin had a new lease on life. Seven years after her accident, she returned to her hometown, Hsinchu City, to take over the family
Lin contacted the hospital she stayed in after her accident and several blood-donation centers, but she was told donor information is confidential. Eventually, someone at the hospital was persuaded to give in a little. They told her the donor’s surname was Lian. Shocked, Lin read her boyfriend’s identification number out loud.
“How did you know that?!” the receptionist gasped. It turns out that the person who helped save Lin’s life a decade before was now her boyfriend. Faced with that evidence of fate, Lin and Lian got married in March of 2018. The couple decided to go public with the story, hoping to encourage more people to become donors. As Lian cheekily said, “I urge everyone to donate blood because there’s a chance you could save your future wife.”
business. It wasn’t long after moving back that Lin met Lian Zhicheng, a charming rice-dumpling salesman. The two hit it off and soon started dating. Since there’s only so many times one can ask, “How was your day?” before a relationship gets stale, Lin and Lian found themselves talking one day about near-death experiences. When Lin opened up about her car accident, Lian, who’d regularly donated blood and platelets since he was 20 years old, jokingly asked, “Could it be my blood
Black Gold for Your Garden Soil National Learn About Composting Day!
Why Do We Compost? Besides giving gardens and lawns significant nutrients, composting also reduces landfills. According to the United States EPA, “Food scraps and yard waste together currently make up about 30 percent of what we throw away.” Organic material often takes longer to decompose in a landfill due to being wrapped in plastic. The more organic material that is composted, the quicker it can deteriorate. Learn About Composting Day The best way to recognize this holiday is to learn as much as you can about composting. When you dive in, you’ll discover you can compost materials you never knew you could, including latex balloons and cardboard egg cartons. Once you do your research, you can start your very own compost by dedicating a part of your backyard to disposing of organic matter or by purchasing a compost bin.
Most people have heard of composting one way or another. Your mom might have kept a bin in the backyard for overripe Halloween pumpkins, yard clippings and egg shells. You might even have a coworker who boasts about the giant compost pile they use to fertilize their garden and lawn. Whatever your level of composting knowledge may be, there is always more to learn about this popular and extremely beneficial method for handling organic food waste. Luckily, May 29 is National Learn About Composting Day! This day provides a great opportunity to introduce yourself to and begin the conversation about composting if you haven’t already. Below are a few answers to your basic composting questions to get you started. What Is Compost? Compost is decomposed organic matter, which is especially good for people who have gardens or aspire to live a sustainable lifestyle. People put coffee grounds; vegetable scraps; paper products, including receipts, paper towels and tissues; wood chips, leaves and other types of waste that are not categorized as processed food, meats or fish products in their compost bin. Compost can stabilize gardening soil, keep the soil from contracting diseases and help the ground retain moisture.
This article covers the basics of composting, but there’s still plenty more to learn! Head to your local farmers market or botanical garden and talk to the experts about any questions you have — they’ll be sure to give you some great tips.
2 www.OctoberKitchen.com
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