It starts with the cold sensation of rubbing alcohol, followed by a cringe, a needle and a relaxed face. The blood begins to flow, and a sigh of relief escapes her lips. As a first time blood donor, this is the best senior Meredith Lecrone could do.

“I was nervous because I had never given before,” she said. “This is the first step.”

Lecrone’s blood may look just like every other donors, but there is one difference unable to be seen: passion. Her personal experiences drove her to become a donor to save lives, give back and make a difference. After the nerves of her first time slip from her thoughts, she realizes how her blood can impact lives.

“I want to give the best to everyone; I want to give them the chances others didn’t have,” Lecrone said.

After knowing a three year-old-boy who died from leukemia, and a cousin who was saved by blood transfusions after a car wreck, Lecrone’s blood runs deep for the lives she can save.

“Giving blood means life and death for some people,” Lecrone said. “I want to help people. It’s not just to feel good on the inside.”

For Lecrone, giving blood is only the first step to a long line of giving. From here, she plans to work herself up to donate platelets, and from there, a more painful process: donating bone marrow, but she does not just want to sit in a chair and donate all her life.

“I want to do Doctors Without Boarders, and I’m going to work as hard as I can to get there,” she said.

Lecrone wants to go into Doctors Without Borders because her home life was not what she hoped it would be.

“Growing up, my life was less than ideal,” Lecrone said. “My parents were very ‘selfish’ in a way, but I’ve seen how much others can suffer more than I have. Now, I am going to dedicate my life to helping them.”

To Lecrone, giving blood is just the first step in helping the people who suffer from day to day.

As the needle is pulled from her arm, eyes squeeze shut, a bottom lip is bitten and a nerves smile crosses her face. Lecrone saved three lives and wants to continue to give.

“Even though toward the end, I started to feel light-headed, I really want to give blood again,” she said. “I want to give more and more. The only regret I have is waiting until my senior year to start giving.”