With events like this, there are two questions i ask - (1) Is there anything I can do to assist? (2) What lessons can be learned from the incident?

The afternoon of the Boston Marathon, I was scheduled to donate blood. Unfortunately, my hematocrit was 0.1 too low, so I am scheduled for an appointment next week. Now of course, my pint is not going to find its way into the veins of any of the Boston victims, but there are plenty of others between southern California and Boston who will find it useful. Donating blood is simple, easy, and a good thing to do.