Do you give blood?
No? What’s your excuse? Do you have a blood condition? Or take medication? Or have lived abroad in a country which means you can’t give blood?
Or…do you just ‘not get round to it’? Don’t have time? Think it’s painful? Think it’s ‘icky’? Don’t know where you can donate? Don’t think it’s really THAT important?
Well, I guarantee you have half an hour to donate blood, at least sometimes.
You can look up here for the nearest place and times in Northern Ireland and look here if you are in England. Blood donations are constantly needed and people are continuously being saved by blood transfusions.
Road traffic accidents, major injuries, blood loss in operations, and so much more are all examples of why blood donations are so important.
We are fortunate that we live in a country where pretty much all the time, the type of blood you need will be stored and ready to go if and when it’s needed within a matter of lifesaving minutes.
However, without the generosity of people who do give up a half an hour every few months or so to have their arms pricked and give around a pint of blood, this would not be possible.
If you are someone who gives blood or has done in the past, please encourage the people around you to do the same. Share positive experiences, use your voice to help others understand it’s not scary or painful or time consuming.
If you are someone who has needed or know someone who has needed blood transfusions, please use yours or their story to encourage people to donate. Show them what blood donations really do and how much it means to people, how it is just as important as donating organs, saves lives in just the same way.
This year, make sure you sign onto the blood donation list, there is even an app to download and see when and where your nearest donation point is.
It is something so simple, so do-able, and yet so important and lifesaving.
You sign up, I’m signing off,
Lucia X