By EILENE E. GUY, American Red Cross volunteer

Elaine Rettig has made what she thinks is a “win-win” deal with her family: If they give blood to the American Red Cross, she gives them cash.

For every pint of blood each of her three children, their spouses and seven grandchildren donates, they receive $100!  It’s $50 for an attempt to donate, even if it’s not successful.

And somewhere, someone – or two or three – will receive the gift of life when they need it most.

Elaine was one of those recipients more than 50 years ago when she needed an emergency C-section for the birth of her first child. It took seven units of blood to get her through the crisis.

Over the years, through two more kids and a career in nursing, Elaine donated 62 units of blood to “pay it forward.”

But that’s nothing compared to her husband Al’s generosity: When he makes his next donation in May, he will have given 144 pints of blood. That’s 18 gallons! That’s in addition to a couple of gallons he gave as a medic in the U.S. Navy, including on duty in Vietnam.

Elaine can no longer donate blood herself, but one night in bed, it occurred to her she might spur family members to carry on the mission. She was thinking about one of her granddaughters, who’s active in a high school Red Cross Club.

“What teenager can’t use an extra hundred dollars every couple of months,” she asked with a grin in her voice. She knows her grown children too appreciate the “little bit extra” from Mom, but no, Al isn’t in line for the cash award she adds, with her wry sense of humor.

Since starting the incentive program for her 13 family members less than a year and a half ago, Elaine has accounted for 33 units of blood and three unsuccessful attempts. After 10 donations or attempts per person, she figures the habit should be established and she’ll pay in advance for the next 10 donations.

She thinks of this as a form of early inheritance transfer.

As a retired nurse, Elaine knows that the testing involved with blood donation can uncover silent health problems. In fact, one of her granddaughters tested too low for hemoglobin in a pre-donation screening: It turned out she was anemic and really needed iron supplements. Elaine considers that a win at a blood drive, even without a unit collected.

By the way, the Red Cross is doing free A1c tests on all units donated during March, to screen for prediabetes or Type 2 diabetes. Red Cross data shows one in five blood donors has an elevated A1c level, which can often be controlled with lifestyle changes before the condition develops further. As the nation’s largest blood supplier, the Red Cross is uniquely positioned to alert otherwise healthy donors to undiagnosed anemia, diabetes and hypertension.

“While the dreaded jab of a needle is not like a kiss from your sweetheart, knowing you will be helping someone through a rough time in their life is an extra reward,” this wise grandma in Findlay said.

To schedule a blood donation this month and get the free A1c test and a $15 Amazon gift card, to go RedCrossBlood.org/March or download the free American Red Cross Blood Donor app.

Edited by Glenda Bogar, Red Cross volunteer