The province’s volunteer blood donors were honoured for their selfless contribution towards saving the lives of others during a South African National Blood Service (SANBS) function recently.
These people are representative of a brave and committed community of active donors who see donating blood as a natural part of community service.
Polokwane Observer spoke to recipients of the Coombs Moreschi Medal awarded to persons who have donated 175 units.
Robin Tapinos said that he began to donate because of his family’s good example as they were all donors. “We started donating blood with the then Durban Donor Service who held clinics at Hullets Sugar where my dad worked. What a challenge it was to be there every time to see who was donating and how many donations were made. I later served as vice chairperson of the donor committee for Teks in Secunda and as member of the donor committee in Benoni. I have also had the good fortune, due to my travels, to have donated blood in all eight provinces serviced by the SANBS, from Springbok to Alice, and as always, had excellent assistance from each donor clinic,” he said.
He will be donating his 183rd unit of blood this month. “Donating is quick, easy and takes half an hour every 56 days to save a life,” he said.
Being a blood donor was part of Avryl Fox’s upbringing since her father, in his lifetime, donated 271 units of blood. In March 1990, when he donated his last unit, he was the proud holder of the national record for the most units donated. Her father was always an advocate for the cause of the SANBS. “My dad was my inspiration and mentor in life. He encouraged me to donate blood from a very early age. In those days you had to be 18 but my dad gave permission for me to start donating at 17 in 1966. At the moment my immediate family have donated over 800 units of blood and presently four of us are still regular donors, the youngest being my eldest grandson who has already donated ten units,” she said. Her motivation is the fact that she can save people’s lives. She stated that blood is a gift from God and one can freely give it. “My husband, who donated 184 units before he had to stop due to illness, was privileged to actually see his blood going into a patient to save his life,” Fox said. She donated her 180th unit on Friday.
Christiaan Stoumann is expected to donate his 179th unit of blood this month. He originally started donating as a first year student at Potchefstroom University in 1987 as part of a “blood-intervarsity” between big universities. During his compulsory military training in 1992 the blood services came to the different camps, from Bethlehem to Lohatla giving the troops a chance to donate blood. When he came back to Polokwane it quickly became a habit to visit the donor centre every eight weeks.
“It was in September this year, when my 12-year-old son received two units of blood and a unit of platelets that I realised what a great gift and privilege it is to donate a unit of blood.
Pensioner Johannes Page started donating in 1970 when he worked for the railways. He hopes to donate his 181st unit of blood during the Festive Season. He said as a result of regular nosebleeds a friend suggested he should start donating blood, and whether it was pure coincidence or not he hasn’t had another nosebleed since. “My mother needed blood when she had a surgery, and that was when I realised the importance of donating blood,” he said. “My motivation would definitely be that someone close to me may need blood in an emergency and that blood would be readily available.
A unit of blood can save up to three lives, and with their regular donations these incredible people have thus far potentially saved
2 160 lives.
One thing that all four of these donors had in common was their plea with the community to step up and become regular donors. “Don’t wait until there’s an emergency,” they said and agreed that they hoped to be able to donate many more units in the years to come.
Story and photos: Alet-Elize van Jaarsveld
>>alet-elize@observer.co.za
Featured photo: Robin Tapinos, Avryl Fox, Christiaan Stoumann and Johannes Page are local blood donors and recipients of Coombs Morechi Medals after donating their 175th units of blood.
