Takers try to gain as much as possible from their interactions while contributing as little as they can in return.
Givers are others-focused and tend to provide support with no strings attached. They ask themselves, “How can I add value to society? What can I contribute?”
And then there are anonymous givers. These people give with no strings attached; they seek no acknowledgment or recognition.
In this time of social media and self-promotion, anonymous givers are unicorns. Ryan Paton is a unicorn.
Ryan grew up in Coral Springs. His family still lives in Coral Springs
and Parkland. Ryan is a successful mortgage broker in town, but that is not what makes Ryan unique, however.
Over the past 15 years, Ryan has donated over 20 gallons of blood
and platelets. These donations place Ryan in the top 1% of all blood donors in the country. Amazingly, however, Ryan cringes when he sees a needle. Donating platelets is painful and is a two-hour commitment.
When I asked Ryan why he continues to give blood if he is afraid of needles, Ryan said, “I sometimes shed tears when I think about the recipients that are going to receive my blood. The sick children, and sick moms and dads that are fighting for their lives. It’s not fair that when I’m finished with my platelet donation, I get to go about my day while the recipients getting my blood have to also deal with the same needle that I’m scared of, but they are in the midst of a battle for their life. They are praying for a miracle when they get that blood I just gave. So, when I consider that, it makes me want to brave that needle and donate so much more. If my blood/platelets have even a slight chance to cure or extend the life of even one person, all those hours of needles will be worth it.”
I’ve known Ryan for 20 years. I eat lunch with him almost every Wednesday. Until last year, I never knew he was a blood donor. Ryan never speaks about it. It’s a 100% selfless act. In fact, there is only one thing Ryan ever seems to talk about – Honor Flight.
In 2012, Ryan asked a few friends, including myself, to donate a few dollars to support an organization called Honor Flight. No one ever heard of Honor Flight, but we were happy to help Ryan. The mission of Honor Flight is to transport America’s veterans to Washington, D.C. to visit the memorials dedicated to honoring those who have served and saved our country. In 2012, very few people in South Florida had heard of Honor Flight.
Since 2012, Ryan took the initiative to co-found the South Florida branch of Honor Flight. As the current Director of Operations, he has helped coordinate the transport of over 1000 veterans to their Memorials in Washington, D.C. Many veterans have told Ryan that this trip was the highlight of their lives. They cannot believe that an organization made the effort to recognize them for doing their civic duty in America’s time of need.
Veterans are the ultimate givers. They gave so others didn’t have to. They fought so we could be free. Sadly, many veterans never received any type of honor for their service and sacrifice. Ryan donates his time and raises money so they are recognized.
As you may expect, Ryan never asks for any recognition at Honor Flight events and fundraisers. The focus is ALWAYS on the veterans, never on himself. Also, Ryan has no real ties to the military. His involvement is solely altruistic because it’s the right thing to do.
Getting Ryan to send me a bio about why he gives blood or his
involvement in Honor Flight was like pulling teeth. Oftentimes,
givers don’t like to be recognized because they believe it diverts the
attention away from the mission. I disagree. Our community can (and
should) rally around givers like Ryan. Giving blood is thankless, but
crucial. It is the ultimate act of a giver. You are anonymously giving
your health (at great expense) to someone in need who you will never
meet. You give because you know others will not.
Supporting our veterans is honorable. You are recognizing someone who has already given the ultimate sacrifice who was not afforded the recognition they deserved.
Next time you walk past the Big Red Blood Bus, think of Ryan’s sacrifice and the good you could be doing for others.
And consider sponsoring a veteran and/or chaperoning a trip to Washington D.C. through HonorFlightSouthFlorida.org so they can be recognized for their service.
Selfless acts such as giving are what makes our community special. Thank you, Ryan, for all you (anonymously) do.
Philip Snyder is a partner with the law firm of Lyons, Snyder & Collin in Plantation. He was writing our Legal Matters column for us but said he wanted to try something different, highlighting special people in the community. We decided to let him give it a try. Let us know what you think, email: editor@theparklander.com.