From me to you – the gift of life

I was a student the first time I donated blood. It was summer and I stood in a long line in the blazing sun to get to a stuffy tent. I was so nervous, I started feeling light-headed. The wonderful nurse checked up on me, put me at ease and even fanned me with a brochure at one point. I left feeling like a wussy hero (with cookies!). I went to a centre to donate again 56 days later. And again 56 days after that.

World Blood Donor Day is on 14 June. Save a life, give blood!

Why donate blood?

One blood donation can save up to three lives. Volunteers are the only source of blood; we cannot create blood in a lab.

Who does your donation help?

• Childbirth
• Children with severe anaemia (lack of red blood cells)
• Accident victims
• Surgical and cancer patients.

Donating once is fantastic, as every drop helps, but it’s just not enough. The South African National Blood Service (SANBS) needs blood all the time. Regular blood donors have the safest blood and help SANBS to keep their stocks up, especially during peak times like the holiday season.

Don’t hold back on blood donation

“The needle is going to hurt”

If you haven’t donated before, the blood donation needle can look scary. SANBS nurses help people to donate every day so their steady hands mean I don’t even feel the needle in my arm. The little needle they use to test your iron levels can sting though. If you’re scared of needles, just tell them in advance and they will hide your arm from you with a blanket or a coat.

“I don’t have time”

Ask your employer to invite SANBS to have a blood drive at your office. Or better still, get your employer’s permission and do it yourself. The SANBS is happy to come out for a group of people. As a bonus, you have instant moral support from your colleagues.

“I have a chronic condition so I can’t donate”

The rules have changed; you can now donate blood if you’re generally healthy. As long as your medication is not on SANBS’s list of medication they don’t allow and your condition (for example asthma) is under control, you can donate. Call SANBS on 0860 119 030 to find out more.

Don’t wait. Roll up your sleeve and donate. You will feel like a hero, but more than that you could save a life!