In keeping with the Christmas spirit, I am happy that I was able to donate blood for the 13th time. I must have tried at least 25 times, but was often disqualified for reasons ranging from low iron (the cut-off level is higher than the usual normal for blood donations) to having a cold, to travelling to India (a malaria prone zone)!
Donating blood is a really straightforward process and does not take much time at all. A great benefit to an active donor – it’s a huge incentive to stay healthy! It was immensely satisfying to see the messages the NHSBT sent me once my blood has been dispatched to a hospital. I am sure all donors hope and pray that their blood helps in the recovery of a patient, and maybe even give a needy patient the gift of life!
Irrespective of what our cultural, religious beliefs are, the blood that runs through all our bodies is the same – more than anything else, our blood “Connects Cultures”.
