I have a request for all of you: give blood through my favorite podcast’s blood drives!

During my crazy diagnosis process, Aminatou Sow of Call Your Girlfriend was undergoing major surgery for endometrial cancer. Her Instagram stories kept me laughing and encouraged as I went through test after test—it made me feel less alone to watch someone I admire go through something terrifying and cancer-related as well.

Ann, the podcast’s cohost and Amina’s best friend, organized a series of blood drives in Amina’s honor around the country—Amina’s had countless transfusions, and this is their way of supporting peoples’ health on a larger scale. I haven’t needed a transfusion, but I am anemic these days, and come chemo it’s always a possibility.

Cancer comes with a million risks and worries, and blood availability shouldn’t be one. So I’m asking all of you to join this CYG effort! I’ve listed the dates and cities below and linked to the site to register, and you can also find ways to donate in your city in Amina’s name here (this is especially for all my STL-ians since there’s no drive there): http://www.callyourgirlfriend.com/bleedin-worldwide

Austin: Saturday March 31st
Chicago: THIS Friday, March 30th (Let me know if you’re going and I’ll try to stop by!!)
DC: April 7th (already full at their location, but you can walk in or find others at the link!)
NYC: April 2nd (also full at this location, but you can still walk in or donate in her name elsewhere!)
Richmond: April 20th
Minneapolis: April 21st

And if you donate, please tell me about it! Text me, email me, post using the #bleedinforamina hashtag and tag me so I get a little lift!

More on Call Your Girlfriend: Each week, long-distance besties Ann (a journalist) and Amina (a tech businesswoman) talk about what’s happening in the world. Here’s how they describe themselves: “We’re highbrow and lowbrow, fiercely opinionated, and not afraid to realtalk each other about everything from menstrual cycles and body shaming to the Cheeto in Chief and workplace drama with devastating wit.” Clearly this is all my jam, and I can’t recommend this podcast enough.If you want to hear more on the cancer front (all of which resonated with my own) I recommend this episode, Believe Women’s Pain.