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LOS ANGELES, California (Achieve3000, September 14, 2015). In January 2015, Brandon Levine shook hands with nearly two dozen of his new "blood" brothers and sisters. He had never met these people before. But they had helped save his life.

These strangers ranged in age from 20 to 70. They were among nearly 200 people who donated blood to the UCLA Blood and Platelet Center in 2014. These donations helped keep Levine alive. He had been in a serious motorcycle accident in April 2014.

It's not only accident victims who benefit from blood donations. Patients may also need a blood transfusion to replenish blood lost after being hurt. They could need it during surgery. Some may have a disease that has attacked their blood. There is no artificial replacement for human blood. Hospitals rely on donors to supply the blood their patients need.

Donating blood is easy, and it usually takes about 10 minutes. After donation, the blood is screened to make sure it is safe for use. It is then sent to hospitals or blood banks. A single donation can help up to three people. These could range from cancer patients to accident victims like Levine.

It took nearly 100 units, or pints, of blood to save Levine's life after his accident. Just months later, Levine talked at an event to thank and honor blood donors.

"You guys, what you did was probably one of the most selfless…gifts that you could give to anybody," Levine said, choking up.

"It amazes me," he added, "that a part of you is inside of me. That's why I'm standing here today."

The group included college students. Some said they only started donating blood because free movie tickets were offered when they did. There was also a doctor in the crowd who said that she still tears up when she remembers Levine grasping her hand as he was headed into surgery. He said, "Please help me."

"I heard those three words in my head over and over for the next eight hours while we were transfusing…blood into him," said Dr. Barbara Van de Wiele.

Tima Dehghani is a 21-year-old student. It was a thrill for her to actually meet someone she had helped save through her blood donation.

"It's such a small thing that you can do," she said. Dehghani makes donations often now.

Today, blood donation is needed around the world. Blood transfusions save hundreds of thousands of lives each year. Timely access to blood is important.

The World Health Organization (WHO) works to make sure that there is enough blood in each country. In 2004, WHO introduced "World Blood Donor Day." This international event gets more people to donate blood. It helps people understand why it's important.

The American Red Cross also works to make sure there is enough blood available around the world. The organization says that blood donation is absolutely necessary in modern health care. Many life-saving medical treatments involve blood transfusions, such as the care Levine received. These would not be possible without a safe blood supply.

As of early 2015, Levine was still recovering from his accident. He had no plans of getting back on a motorcycle again. "That hobby's over," he said, laughing.

Levine did have other plans, however. When he's able, he said, he's going to become a blood donor.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

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