MBOMBELA – Blood is essential for life. What if you or a loved one needs a transfusion to survive? Would you then use the excuse of not having time or being scared of needles, to not donate?
Dess Potgieter (35) lives in Pilgrim’s Rest and does design and maintenance work. Although he used to donate blood on a regular basis, he never thought that he would be in need of a transfusion himself one day. Thirteen years ago, he started losing weight very rapidly and was mistakenly diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis, which only affects the colon. However, he was later diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease – an autoimmune disease which mainly affects the bowel, but can flare up anywhere in the entire gastrointestinal tract.
“One of the effects of this disease is fistulae (an abnormal, tube-like connection between two hollow spaces). The immune system will attack the colon mostly and if a hole forms, this will lead to a tunnel through anything in its way like flesh and organs,” Dess explained.
He had to undergo four surgical procedures since his diagnosis and has lost the lower part of his small intestine, including the ileum, appendix, caecum as well as the ascending and half of his transverse colon. Dess experienced excessive bleeding during one of these procedures. “I received a pint of plasma and had to receive another pint of plasma and blood during another operation,” he said.
Dess also had to undergo a complete blood-swapping procedure to stem infection that had accumulated near his heart. “This blood saved my life as I am on immuno-suppressant medication and would not have survived the infection,” Dess said. It took seven litres of blood to complete the procedure.
Dess has the second rarest blood type, which is AB positive. About only one out of every 33 people has it, but surprisingly, he has never had to wait for blood. “I have been lucky that blood was always available when I needed it but I have seen patients wait for days due to a shortage of blood,” he added.
He speaks with great appreciation of the staff at the South African National Blood Service. “My doctors explained exactly how blood was collected, checked and distributed as either just blood or blood products. It became clear from these conversations that personnel of the blood bank do everything in their power to ensure that donors receive safe, healthy blood.”
Dess cannot donate any longer because of his chronic disease, but as a former donor and someone who realises and appreciates its value, he encourages as many people as he can to donate. “The value of even one pint of blood is priceless.”
The minimum requirements for donating blood
• Weighing at least 50kg
• Aged 16 to 65
• Be in good health
• Lead a sexually safe lifestyle
• Consider your blood safe to for transfusion to a patient.
Visit www.sanbs.org.za for information on your nearest donor site.
