Fifty years ago, Carole Beebe donated blood for the first time to help a friend. She hasn’t stopped since.

“A friend from my church had to go to the hospital for serious surgery,” Carole explained. “He shared that he would need blood transfusions and that if anyone was willing to donate in his name, it would help him. I had never donated before, but I thought, ‘I am brave!’ So I went in and donated. It is hard to describe the sense of accomplishment and joy I felt for having done this for someone else. From that point on, I was hooked."

Since then, Carole, who lives in Bozeman, has donated more than 200 units of blood products, and her generosity has not gone unnoticed. A few months ago, she was having her blood drawn for her annual checkup when the phlebotomist asked which arm to use.

“I suggested she might want to use the left arm because I had just donated blood the day before using the right arm,” Carole said. “We then got into a conversation about my donation history, and she expressed how thankful she was for me and all the other people who faithfully donate blood. She shared that she has had many transfusions after surviving cancer twice.

“One of the times, she needed transfusions for over eight months, and without that donated blood, she probably wouldn’t be alive today. We both ended up crying together. I am so thankful to hear firsthand how my blood and the blood of all the other donors help people like her survive."

In 2020, Carole also began volunteering as a transportation specialist for the Red Cross, delivering blood from the Bozeman collection site to the Red Cross laboratory in Great Falls. The journey from Bozeman to Great Falls can be an adventure, with wild animal hazards and challenging weather, especially during the winter. But for Carole, this eight-hour roundtrip trek is a labor of love every week.

During the 380-mile drive through the beautiful Montana landscape, Carole thinks about those who will receive the blood she is transporting across the state. She also gives thanks for the donors and is reminded of the lifegiving blood that is the foundation of her Christian faith.

And she is grateful for the other Red Cross volunteers who support her and the patients who depend on that blood.

"I am so very grateful to Sue Gillespie, our transportation lead,” Carole said. “She does a wonderful job scheduling all of the transports for our area, and I am grateful for all the volunteers who give their time to make sure the blood gets to Great Falls for testing and distribution."

RAISE YOUR HAND

If you like to travel and help others, consider applying for a transportation role near you. Learn more at redcross.org/volunteertoday.