June is the perfect time to start to donate blood

June is world blood donor and the South African National Blood Service, Secunda Branch shared four testimonies with us as well as the importance of blood donation.

Melinda, Margie, Chloé and Roelof are among the hundreds of thousands of South Africans whose lives have been saved by something so simple yet powerful beyond words: a blood transfusion.

Melinda Samuels, Margie Symons, Lizie Ngcobo’s four-year-old daughter Chloé, Roelof Badenhorst.

Their names are not known to most South Africans, but they are testament to the power that we all hold in our hands, the ability to save a life.

Thirty years ago, Melinda needed four pints of blood after she haemorrhaged during the birth of her first child.

Doctors later told her that without a blood transfusion she would have died.

Margie required the same amount of blood after being admitted to hospital 10 years ago following a serious car crash during which she broke both her legs and seven ribs, causing a haemopneumothorax.

Chloé needed two pints of blood after being born eight weeks premature.

Roelof needed a blood transfusion following surgery and being placed in an induced coma after being knocked off his motorbike by a drunk driver, which resulted in him breaking his right leg, dislocating his hip and cracking a couple of ribs.

While extolling the skill of their doctors and nurses, all four have no doubt who else to thank: the donors who provided the blood that saved their lives.

“Those weeks in hospital were the worst because I did not know if she would pull through. But she did.“Today Chloé is a four-year-old girl who enjoys dance, drama and swimming.

“I thank the blood donors who made it possible for me to see my little girl grow,” says Lizie.

Melinda added: “To this day I still believe that when women give birth both mother and child stand with one foot in the grave and when I think back I am so thankful to have been given another chance in life by someone who made the effort to donate their blood.”

“Blood Donor Month, and World Blood Donor Day, which is celebrated globally on 14 June, is for them.

“It gives us the opportunity to acknowledge their gift and to say thank you.

“Thank you for saving the life of that mother, thank you for saving the life of that car accident victim, thank you for saving the life of that premature baby.

“Thank you for giving them a lifetime of memories.

“Your selflessness is not unrecognised, nor will it ever be forgotten,” Ms Mlambo added.