Donate Blood: Gift of Life

Introduction

To a great extent, donating blood is regarded as a gift of life since giving our blood to other people we often save their lives. Therefore, every healthy individual should be ready to donate his/her blood in case of necessity or urgency.

Main body

Donating blood is a safe process while sterile needles and bags are applied to collect blood and therefore the infection spread to the donor impossible. The US regulations, for instance, allow donating blood once per 56 days. A donor must be at least 17 years old and in good health, and weigh at least 110 pounds. Furthermore prior to donating, a donor is obliged to pass health history and physical history reviews.

Blood donation is a voluntary process wherein volunteers provide their blood for a community supply. “It is crucially important for any country to advance its blood transfusion system to ensure regular, safe and sustainable blood supply”.  It is rather important therefore that every individual is aware of blood donation basics and fully comprehends the vital importance of the whole process. Often, the amount of donated blood, even few milliliters, can save other person’s life; therefore appropriate donors are always at hand in case of emergency.

The process is entirely bona fide in most countries assuming that donors are willing to help others.  “It is important that the voluntary, unpaid blood donation become part of our culture – that’s why more people should join the donor actions”. Due to blood donation therefore, millions of people worldwide owe their lives to people they will never meet or talk to - people who freely donate their blood without asking for any reward. “The blood donation approach and the legislation have to be changed in all countries to unpaid ones”.

Donors’ blood is always needed despite the newest medical and surgical advancements. Mere 400 ml. of donated blood can save three people’s lives. The practice of blood donation is widespread worldwide, and the 14^th of June is acclaimed as the World Blood Donor Day. The promotion of unpaid blood donation and support the global movement that encourages regular blood donations, UN and WHO members donate their blood in various cities o the world. 

Blood is perceived as the most precious gift under certain situations, and therefore blood donation is certainly an act of human dignity. However, there are too many people unaware of the blood donation procedure and therefore cannot help others even if they can. This indicates that large international organizations should mainly emphasize on the awareness rising initiatives to encourage people 17up to facilitate their communities as donors.

Conclusion

Regrettably, in most cases we do care when the disaster is near. Then we urge from outside help and seek the ways out of situation. Unfortunately, too often it is late to change something or save someone’s life. One day we need the precious outsider to help us while the other day the person unknown to us will need our help.

Blood donation should therefore be perceived as mutually supportive process everyone should be aware of.  Our knowledge and spreading it to others can reap many benefits in the long run. Most importantly, we should never remain indifferent to others needs. And if we won’t that someone helps us when the black day comes, we should help first ourselves.
Works Cited

American Red Cross 2009, Give Blood,

http://www.redcross.org/portal/site/en/menuitem.d8aaecf214c576bf971e4cfe43181aa0/?vgnextoid=d0061a53f1c37110VgnVCM1000003481a10aRCRD

Brecher, M. (2005), AABB Technical Manual, fifteenth edition, Bethesda, MD: AABB, p.98-103 

Turgeon, M (2004). Clinical Hematology: Theory and Procedures (fourth ed.). Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. pp. 30.

Wales P., Lau W., Kim P. (May 2001). ‘Directed blood donation in pediatric general surgery: Is it worth it?’. J. Pediatr. Surg. 36 (5): 722–5.

Steele W., Schreiber G., Guiltinan A., (2008). ‘The role of altruistic behavior, empathetic concern, and social responsibility motivation in blood donation behavior’. Transfusion 48 (1): 43–54.