By Jenny Farley

Isabella Rosa hates running. That didn’t stop her from running ten miles in the Broad Street Run in Philadelphia. Broad Street is lined with lampposts. Each time she ran past one she told herself, “Just get to the next lamppost.”

She thought getting to the next lamppost was a good metaphor for life, so she knew what one of her nine tattoos was going to be.

“I got myself a little lamppost,” she said.

Jessica Kohn is a big “Game of Thrones” fan. When she had a bone tumor removed from her ankle, she waited for the scar to heal and knew what would make the perfect tattoo.

“Like they say in the show, ‘What do we say, to the god of death?’ And she says, ‘Not Today.’ So, that was a very meaningful tattoo.”

Kohn said the tattoo reminds her that she came out on the other side of an ordeal.

Now, Kohn donates blood to “pay it forward.” She said, “I’ve had so many people help me with my illnesses and injuries, surgeries that I’ve had.”

For Laura Hash, tattoos can have meaning or just be beautiful to look at. She has a palm tree tattoo to commemorate a 50th birthday trip she took with her friends, and she’s drawn to tattoos of music notes and flowers.

“They’re very vivid. I love them. The tattoo artist did great,” she said. Hash also has tattoos on her hip and thigh.

The Lifesaving Connection

Rosa, Kohn and Hash all love tattoos and they are all blood donors. Rosa works in the National Molecular Lab as a genetic analyst at the American Red Cross Spring Garden Campus. She analyzes DNA sequences to “help type people’s blood” so that recipients who may need more specialized blood than traditional blood types can get what they need.

She donated blood at the Staff Donor Day blood drive on July 9. “The more that I work here, the more that I realize that it really is a need for a lot of folks, and if it’s something that I can help with, by giving 7 minutes of my time, I’m happy to do that,” she said.

Hash and Kohn donated blood at the “I Bleed for Preston and Steve” Red Cross blood drive on June 19.

Kohn said she likes donating blood to help others.

“My favorite part is getting the email to tell me where my blood’s going.” She said, “It’s nice to know oh, it went here to the kids’ hospital, it went here to this place, and so that’s a pretty cool part of it.”

Kohn is an animal lover who has volunteered at a wildlife center for 10 years. Many of her tattoos are of animals and some are dedicated to the memory of beloved pet cats that have died.

Having tattoos won’t stop you from donating blood. On National Tattoo Day, we are reminding you of what you need to know:

Have a Tattoo? Here’s What You Need to Know to Donate Blood

Pennsylvania is one of seven states and the District of Columbia that don’t have regulations for tattoo businesses, so you must wait three months after getting a tattoo before you can donate blood.

Those states include: New York, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Idaho and Wyoming.

The delay is because of concerns about hepatitis. The Red Cross tests blood donations for hepatitis B and hepatitis C, but it takes time to detect the virus. If you have hepatitis, don’t donate blood.

In states that regulate tattoo facilities, there is no delay before donating blood, as long as the tattoo business uses fresh ink and sterile needles.

If you apply your own tattoos or get tattoos in states with regulations but from unregulated businesses or artists, you will still have to wait three months between getting your tattoo and donating blood.

If you have questions about donating blood with tattoos or piercings, learn more at RedCrossBlood.org.