Today is Monday, April 27, 2026
Issue #309 — By Rachel Brandes
“I owe my life to blood donors. I’m forever grateful to people who donate.”
– Niki Taylor, American supermodel
Feline Tomfoolery
Belichick here reporting on my big brother: Watching Brady play is like a never-ending episode of a comedy show! The human knew what she was doing when she placed that toy just high enough. He tried the lazy play route but couldn’t quite reach it.
Brady & Belichick are Rachel’s adorable felines. These two cute boys turned two on May 4, 2025.
Moments by Mira
Ever After Photography PNW is located in Gig Harbor, Washington. It is owned and operated by Mira Nachtigall, a long-time friend of Rachel’s.
Salt Lake City Sights
A look inside of a tulip. Photo by Rachel.
The Phobia Experiment
As part of mental health awareness, for the first 26-weeks of 2026, Rachel will explore her phobias A-Z. This experiment is to bring awareness to why the fears exist and attempt to reduce the impact they have on her daily life.
Phobia List Website — Check it out
Trypanophobia is the fear of needles/injections and was definitely a phobia for Rachel for far too long. Luckily, three years ago she decided enough was enough and began donating blood as a way to get over this fear. Guess what, it worked. Odd that this came up in this issue.
- Tachophobia: Fear of speed
- Technophobia: Fear of technology
- Teraphobia: Fear of monsters
- Thalassophobia: Fear of the ocean
- Trichophobia: Fear of hair
- Tonitrophobia: Fear of thunder
- Trypanophobia: Fear of needles/injections
- Trypophobia: Fear of holes
Blood Donation #19
On Tuesday, April 21, 2026, Rachel excitedly headed for her 19th blood donation being hosted at a local business in Salt Lake City, Utah. This one would be special. Rather than a whole blood donation, she had signed up for a Power Red donation.
What is the difference between the two, you ask? The below descriptions are shared directly from the American Red Cross website.
When she arrived at the donation location, she was told that they had no blood drive taking place. She pulled out her American Red Cross application and made sure she was in the right place on the right date and at the right time. Check, all matched. She would get to the bottom of this.
She called the American Red Cross from the parking lot and learned this drive had been cancelled and donors with appointments had not been notified. An error on their end. She quickly found a donation center with an open appointment for the next day, and that was that.
On Wednesday, April 22, 2026, she arrived for a second attempt, once again excited. She was even more excited when she saw the American Red Cross van parked outside and knew she wouldn’t have a repeat of the day prior.
While going through the intake process, the hemoglobin sensor was placed on her finger. The screen showed a 13.2, well within the required range for a female. Little did she know a Power Red donation had a minimum requirement of 13.3, unlike a whole blood donation with a minimum requirement of 12.5. The test was run again. No luck. No Power Red donation.
Does anyone else get the feeling that the Universe was trying to keep Rachel from making a Power Red donation this week? Well, Universe, you can slow her down, but you can’t stop her. “In that case, let’s just do the whole blood donation,” she told the phlebotomist. She was thanked for her willingness to pivot in a pinch.
The donation went off without a hitch. She watched the needle stick with no issue. The donation took her 6 minutes and 6 seconds and pushed her over the two-gallon mark.
She sure has come a long way in the past three years. What is next? She has a Power Red donation scheduled at the end of June. Maybe the Universe wanted her to save this one for donation number 20. Whatever the reason, she believes things always happen the way they are supposed to and she was just happy to donate.
If you or anyone in your life is interested in donating blood or learning more, visit the link below. Until next time, be well.
Donate Blood, Platelets or Plasma. Give Life | Red Cross Blood