I also don't feel at all heroic for my donation. Actually, though, I know of at least one donor who was terrified of needles, and yet donated anyway. I admit, that really
does impress me!
In any case, though, nobody should feel deterred from donation by potential hero-worship.
Actually, even for people who are concerned, there's an alternative:
don't tell. It's been more than two years since my donation, and other than my wife and kids (and their spouses), very very few people know. I ended up needing to tell a couple of people at work, but I've told none of my friends, and I haven't had the need to tell people since. If I had told people, I think as many would have told me I was nuts as would have called me a hero; either way, I wasn't interested (I had a couple of other concerns, as well).
It has been easy enough not to talk about it. In fact, the very day I came home from the hospital, we had a bunch of (long-planned) stay-over company including, amongst the relatives, one surgeon and two medical students. Except that there were a couple of raised eyebrows when my kids wouldn't let me lift a pitcher, there were so many people, and so much noise, I don't think anybody much noticed. I guess that says something about what I
normally look like!
I remain glad I didn't (and don't) talk about it...although I do admit wrestling with the question of whether I could encourage additional donations by "going public". In any case, though, I remain very happy I donated, and the "hero" issue is nothing to dissuade anybody from donating. Anyway who knows, they might just call you crazy, not brave!
Snoopy