MONTPELIER, Vt. -
Sweet 16 doesn't just come with a driver license anymore... it now comes with the ability to save a life.
Vermont became the 39th state in the country today that allows 16 year-olds to donate blood.
And one Burlington teen wanted to be the first to do so.
So, three generations did their part and donated blood Tuesday... Grandpa, mom and 16 year-old Grant Walker. "It will be a pretty good feeling knowing that I've been able to help somebody," Walker said.
And, he didn't even mind the dreaded prick... "I don't really mind getting shots or anything, it's never really a big issue for me," Walker added.
Earlier in the day, with the swipe of a pen- Governor Shumlin's signature made the bill official.
And, the timing for the age limit couldn't be better- there's currently a great need for blood. "Nationally right now the American Red Cross is experiencing a critical need across the entire nation," says Michael Kempesty, CEO, Northern New England Blood Services Region for the American Red Cross.
With 16 year-olds like Grant Walker now being able to donate, the Red Cross estimates that about one thousand more people will be donating every year. "In the state of Vermont, every day we're collecting between 200 and 250 units of blood, so 1,000 units in an entire year, it certainly makes a difference," Kempesty added.
So whatever the reason, cancer or car accident, or something else, 16 year-olds can now help during these tragic times. "I'd really like to be one of those kids who's able to donate," Walker said.
And now he can.
According to the bill, teens will not need parental consent.
