Story told by Mandy McMahon 

“I retired in 2017 and I wanted to do something meaningful,” said Melinda Higgs, of Columbia, SC. “I looked at opportunities with the Red Cross, and one came up in the Columbia office and I met with the volunteer recruiter.”  

A former human resource professional, Melinda began her Red Cross volunteer career helping with HR and administrative activities. Later she became a Blood Donor Ambassador, greeting donors as they entered the donor center and making them feel appreciated. Now, Melinda shares her passion for the Red Cross onboarding and training new donor ambassadors.  

“It humbles you to realize this person is taking time out of their day, they might not have much time to take off work, or even the money to pay for gas to get there, but they do it,” said Melinda of her appreciation for blood donors. “It makes you realize there’s so much you can give without having a lot.” 

Melinda became a blood donor after witnessing what lifesaving transfusions did for loved ones who needed blood products.  

“My husband’s daughter was 39 with three little kids when she was diagnosed with stage-4 breast cancer. She fought like crazy—as much as anyone can fight—she went through chemotherapy, radiation and everything you can think of,” Melinda remembers the difficult time the family faced. “She couldn’t heal following as mastectomy and she needed platelets regularly. Watching her fight and go through all that made me realize, ‘I’m a healthy person, my platelets might not go to her, but they’ll go to somebody who needs them.’” 

Because of blood and platelet donors, her stepdaughter’s three young children got to spend three more years with their mother.  

“Those kids would never have known who their mother was at all. For those three years, she was able to participate in so many things,” said Melinda. “She took them to Disney, celebrated birthdays and milestones—memories she created with her kids that they will have forever.”  

Melinda’s husband’s brother was diagnosed with leukemia around the same time as her stepdaughter’s diagnosis, and he also needed platelets throughout his treatment.  

“Towards the end, he was getting platelets almost every week. Every week that he got to live longer was a joy for his loved ones,” Melinda describes what a little more time means to a blood recipient and their family. “Sometimes we look at things and we think ‘what good was it, the person died anyway?’ But good came of it—for many. And that was really important.” 

Sadly, Melinda’s stepdaughter and brother-in-law both passed away after battles with cancer. Their memories inspire her to give what she can, and Melinda inspires those around her to do the same.  

“I give platelets, and I’m kind of selfish about it—it’s not entirely altruistic! Our days get filled very quickly, and it’s hard to find time to relax and not feel guilty about it. I get to feel good about time spent donating. When I donate, it’s like going to the ‘Blood Spa.’ I get two and a half or three hours to myself, I have somebody waiting on me, I have nice hot blankets, I get to pick the movies I want to watch, and I just sit back and it’s like being in first class.”  

You can join Melinda in making a difference for patients in need. Be a lifesaver by signing up to give blood or platelets at a blood drive near you. Make an appointment today: redcrossblood.org