Joe Johnson has lived at the Morningside retirement center in Greenwood, South Carolina, for about ten years now. He's been a regular blood donor for most of his life, and sees no reason to stop now.
There is no upper age limit for blood donation, as long as the donor is healthy. Johnson plans to continue giving, and says he is "good for a few years more." Link -via Breakfast Links
(Image credit: AP/The Blood Connection)
Johnson said in the same phone call that he began donating after he joined the Army in Tennessee at age 21 and kept it up after moving to Florida, and then later South Carolina. The former infantry soldier said he served in Europe — though not in combat — and back in the United States, training National Guard forces.
"They'd say to us, 'Line up and give blood' and maybe out of 200 or so in the company, maybe 40 or 50 guys would do it. Some people would just walk away, but I never did," Johnson said. "I constantly gave blood. I had a routine going."
Johnson celebrated his 96th birthday on Tuesday with a cake, which Amerson said he insisted on sharing with some of the other 43 residents at the assisted living home. His most recent blood donation was a week earlier when a mobile unit made one of its periodic visits to the retirement home.
There is no upper age limit for blood donation, as long as the donor is healthy. Johnson plans to continue giving, and says he is "good for a few years more." Link -via Breakfast Links
(Image credit: AP/The Blood Connection)
Good for him! I'm coming up on 2 gallons; hope I'm still able to give when I'm his age.
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