Rodda makes 200th blood donation at SANBS Durban North

A LOYAL blood donor, Gregory Rodda, made his 200th whole blood donation at SANBS in Kensington Square on Saturday.

Rodda, who hails from Durban North, was joined by his wife Emma and his children, Aidin and Sasha.

“I made my first blood donation on July 12, 1985. My grandfather, father and stepmom were loyal blood donors, and I followed their example,” said Rodda.

READ ALSO: uMhlanga publisher nominated for prestigious book awards

“It literally is in my blood,” he said, referring to the SANBS saying: ‘Be a hero. It’s in your blood’.

He started donating when he lived in Johannesburg, and since then, has persuaded family and friends to do the same.

It was only when he had tattoos done that he couldn’t donate for three months.

“I donate about five or six times a year. Emma also started donating after we met 29 years ago. Then, when the children were old enough, they became blood donors, too,” he said.

Rodda also plays his role on social media by commenting words of encouragement on first-time donors’ posts.
“I have to do my bit to keep people motivated,” he said, “especially first-time donors.”

His blood type, as well as Aidan’s and Sasha’s, is O+, while Emma’s is A-.

As a family, they have made 330 donations.

“What has kept me so loyal to donating blood is my memory of an incident that occurred when I donated in Joburg. The sister came and stood next to my bed and told me that my blood was going to be tested immediately and would be used to save a four-day-old baby,” said Rodda.

“That has stuck with me. Sasha, when she was six, had a bleeding ulcer and needed a blood transfusion, too. My stepmom was a cancer patient who also needed blood. I always think if it were not for blood donors, so many people would lose loved ones,” he said.

Rodda encouraged everyone who is not a donor yet to go out and become one.

“You will be saving lives,” he added.

For more information, visit www.sanbs.org.za.