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The Ultimate Gift
1 Are you at least 17 years old? Do you weigh more than 110 pounds? Do you consider
yourself fairly healthy?
2 If you answered yes to all of these questions, you should be donating blood every two
months. In my survey of the class, I found that only 50 percent of you have ever donated blood
and that only 1 out of 13 of you donate on a regular basis. The lack of participation of eligible
donors is a serious problem that requires immediate action. Through extensive research and two
years of faithfully donating blood, I have come to realize the magnitude of this problem and just
how easy the solution can be.
3 Today I would like to show why blood donors are in such desperate need and encourage
you to take action to combat this need. Let’s first take a look at the overwhelming need for blood
donors.
6 According to Texas Children’s Hospital, Brooke’s treatment will require blood products
with a replacement value of 508 units of blood, of which only 250 units have been replaced. She
still needs more than 250 units of blood to continue her treatment. If she doesn’t receive this blood,
she will not live to attend kindergarten, to go to the prom in high school, or to get married—
luxuries we all too often take for granted.
7 Cases like Brooke’s are becoming all too common these days, with only 1 in 20 eligible
Americans donating blood and the donor rate dropping steadily at 2 percent annually. These facts
are particularly distressing considering that nearly half of us here will receive blood sometime in
our lives.
410 PERSUASIVE SPEECHES FOR ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION
8 You can now see the magnitude of the problem with the lack of blood donations. Fortu-
nately, it is a problem that can be easily solved. Each and every one of you can be part of the solu-
tion. All you have to do to save priceless lives is go to the nearest Red Cross and donate your blood.
9 For those of you who have never donated blood before, the process is so simple and easy.
First, you fill out a donor information form that asks you questions about your sexual history and
health. You will then receive a mini–physical. They will take a drop of blood from your finger to
measure the percent of red cells in your blood. Then they will take your blood pressure, as well as
your temperature and pulse. So not only are you saving lives by donating blood, you are also
checking on your own.
12 Now that you know how easy and safe the solution is to the lack of blood donations, let’s
take a look at just how much difference your donations can make. Every unit of blood you donate
can help save up to three lives. You see, the blood you donate is divided three ways—into red
blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. Each of these are stored separately and used for dif-
ferent types of treatment. Red blood cells are used to treat anemia. White blood cells are used to
fight infections, while platelets are important to control bleeding and are used in patients with
leukemia and other forms of cancer.
13 The joy you get from helping three people can be increased many times over. You see,
you can donate blood six times in a year. Those six donations could help as many as 18 people.
Just think, if you donated for 10 years, you could help save the lives of nearly 180 people. Who
knows—one of those lives could be that of a friend, a family member, or even your own, since
you can now donate in advance of your own surgery.
412 PERSUASIVE SPEECHES FOR ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION
The Ultimate Gift
Commentary
“The Ultimate Gift,” a speech urging the audience to become regular blood donors, provides an excellent
model of Monroe’s motivated sequence. Here is a synopsis of the speech that focuses on its use of the
motivated sequence.
Specific Purpose: To persuade my audience to become regular blood donors.
Central Idea: By becoming regular blood donors, college students can help save lives and replenish
the shrinking U.S. blood supply.
Method of Organization: Monroe’s motivated sequence
Attention: The attention section of the speech can be found in the introduction, which consists of par-
agraphs 1–3. The opening sequence of three rhetorical questions in paragraph 1 gets the audi-
ence involved right at the outset, while the first sentence of paragraph 2 moves from the
opening questions to the topic of blood donation. After pulling the audience further into the
speech by referring to her audience–analysis questionnaire, the speaker establishes her credibil-
ity by noting that she has been a regular blood donor for the past two years. A concise preview
statement in paragraph 3 completes the introduction and provides a strong lead–in to the next
section of the speech.
Need: The need section, which comprises the first main point in the body of the speech, runs from
paragraph 4 through paragraph 7. In this section, the speaker supports her claim that the lack of
participation by eligible blood donors is a serious problem. She begins in paragraph 4 by pre-
senting statistics from the American Red Cross and by noting some of the medical conditions
THE ULTIMATE GIFT 413
Visualization: After completing the satisfaction section, the speaker shifts to the visualization section
with a transition at the start of paragraph 12. Consisting of paragraphs 12–13, this section com-
prises the third main point in the body. Here the speaker visualizes for her audience the benefits
that will accrue if her policy is adopted.
She begins in paragraph 12 by explaining that because every unit of donated blood is divid-
ed three ways, it is possible to help as many as three people with a single donation. In para-
Action: Another excellent transition, at the beginning of paragraph 14, marks the beginning of the ac-
tion section, which constitutes the conclusion and runs through the end of the speech in para-
graph 16. As with the other parts of the speech, this section is extremely well developed. Rather
than cursorily stating that her classmates should start donating blood, the speaker steadily
builds her call for action throughout paragraphs 14–16.