Basic training

Right after I graduated high school I found myself to be a bit directionless. I was doing Tae Kwon Do 8+ hours a day with a wonderful instructor who seemed to understand that I wasn't sure what I was doing. It took me a couple of months to realize that that wasn't going to work as a long term plan and so I wandered into the military recruiters office one day. The first person that spoke with me was the US Air Force recruiter, and I was hooked. I left for basic training just a few weeks later.

Not long into basic, I met and became fast friends with my flight leader, Lori Richmond. Lori was quiet, friendly, had a ready smile, and never hesutated to help anyone. And she knew what she was doing when it came to everything in basic training. I have never known anyone with such tenacity, drive,  pride, and lack of fear! Everything she did, she did 110%. I remember several nights the 2 of us stayed up all night long, pulling guard duty for all the members of our flight so they could sleep and we could shine their boots and get uniforms inspection ready. We would smuggle kitkats in during the day, tucked inside our sports bras, then hide them inside the ceiling panels to snack on at night while we worked (I admit, I may have been more guilty of this than Lori. I am, after all, a horrible chocoholic!). I have never had as much fun shining boots as I did with Lori! My goodness, we would laugh so hard those nights (probably caused by a mix of the events of the day and the lack of sleep)! But no matter what, Lori always got the work done, done better than the rest, and would always help anyone (and quite often EVERYONE) along the way. She was definitely someone who adheared to the idea of no man left behind (I know, I know, thats not the Air Force!).
I remember about halfway through basic they diagnosed her with Anemia and it would cause her severe migraines. Anyone who has migraines knows that they are hell. Anyone who has had migraines while in basic training knows exactly what Lori was dealing with- absolute, total misery. But Lori's pride and determination kicked in. She refuses to tell our ti's what was going on and muscled her way through. I remember partnering with her on the obstacle course and getting so mad at her because she just kept pushing herself! She was really hurting! She had a legitimate excuse and she wouldn't use it. And yet we had some girls whining because they got splinters or got too dirty (for the record, those girls didn't make it through). But that was Lori- commit to something, give every ounce of yourself to see it through, and don't give up til you finish.

Lori and I lost touch for a few years after leaving tech school (where she was, of course, a squad leader for the newbies, top of her class etc etc etc). She tracked me down a couple of years ago on Facebook and she is the same Lori I have always known. Except this time she is fighting an even bigger fight. Lori has cancer. She has been fighting it for a couple of years now and in true Lori style she is fighting hard. This past weekend she was readmitted to the hospital and needed blood. They didn't have enough to give her due to low donations, but managed to give her 1 bag. She was blessed and after a rough couple of nights she is doing better. But she still has a long fight ahead of her.
Please, take the 1/2 hour it takes to give blood. Make sure Lori, and everyone in her situation, has a fighting chance. Please.