Today the world commemorates World Blood Donor Day (WBDD). This day has been commemorated throughout the world on June 14 since 2004.
It serves to raise awareness about the importance of blood donations and blood donors, throughout the world they are recognised on this day for the role they play in saving lives.
South Africa joins the global community in commemorating this day and the theme for this year is, “Blood connects us all.”
The South African National Blood Service (SANBS) is leading this year’s commemoration in this country by encouraging citizens to continue giving the gift of life to those in need.
Not only does the SANBS collect blood but it has recommitted itself in maintaining a high standard of safety and reliability in the country’s blood supply.
These standards forms part of the key recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO) which includes the testing of donated blood and the reduction of unnecessary transfusions.
WBDD reminds every individual about the realities faced by accident victims, mothers in labour and all those suffering from blood related illnesses.
All these people are given a second chance in life by blood donors. Wendy Patterson is one of those people who got a chance to live happily ever after giving birth to her first child thanks to blood donors.
“The birth of my son was the most wonderful experience of my life but the treatment I took to manage the pain that two slipped discs caused me resulted in me almost bleeding to death on two occasions. I remember seeing the crisp white hospital bedsheets turn red as large volumes of blood left my body,” says Patterson.
More then 400 000 South Africans are on the SNBS database as blood donors today and the number keeps growing. These are the people being celebrated today.
“We have invested in taking a targeted approach to donor education and community support that moves beyond the need for blood as medical response but also a unifying act of love and care.
“Blood really connects people and our hope is that our efforts will see an even wider range of donors walk into our donor centres to start their journey in sharing the gift of life,” says SANBS communications manager Vanessa Raju.
