[Guest Post] En Route WBDD2013 - Deciphering The Power Of A Pint

Ifeoluwa Sylva

ifeoluwasylva@gmail.com

Two weeks ago, in the hospital where I work, a male adult patient was admitted late in the night with a bad case of gastro-intestinal bleeding. Within hours, the patient had bled out a pail of blood and was still bleeding.

In the middle of the night, the doctor’s directed the patient’s relatives to the blood bank for 3 pints of blood with more requests to be made in the following days. Unfortunately, all the pints of blood in the blood bank had been cross-matched for other patients and could not be re-allocated to the old man. At the blood bank, the relatives were duly informed of one bitter truth- the blood bank is a bank, which means you can only withdraw what you have previously deposited.

Also, blood is no chemical that can be concocted with few teaspoons of chemical reagents, thus, as small as a pint of blood appears to be (save for the colour difference, you could easily pass it for sachet water), it harbors in it the power to determine if you’ll get back on your two feet or gain a bed-space at the morgue.

However, as we join the world on the 14^th of June, 2013 to celebrate World Blood Donors’ Day, we enjoin you to join us in raising awareness regarding the need for safe blood and blood products, appreciate all voluntary, non-remunerated blood donors for their life saving gift of blood as well as participate actively in donating blood.

This year’s World Blood Donor’s Day, which doubles as the 10^th anniversary of the blood donation campaign, has been tagged “GIVE THE GIFT OF LIFE: DONATE BLOOD’. The focus is on the value of donated blood to the patient, not only in saving lives, but also in helping people live longer and more productive lives.

Remember, the act of donating blood to save lives should not be a one-time fling, rather, it should become a habit, a practice that will involve everyone joining hands to ensure that through our voluntary, selfless giving of one pint of blood, a young severely anaemic boy will be spared the pain of a premature death, a female sickle cell disease patient will live long to appreciate the value of life.

You might not understand the value of the blood you donate, however, trust me; the accident victims who are saved from death will appreciate you more. Why not join us on the 14^th of June, 2013 as we join in the drive for life…BLOOD, MORE THAN JUST A FLUID!