WORLD BLOOD DONOR DAY – 10 reasons why you should take part

Happy World Blood Donor Day (WBDD) to one and all – that is to those who have given blood before and to those who have been thinking about it for ages and are about to…any minute.

The 14th June commemorates the birth of Karl Landsteiner, who discovered the ABO blood group system.  It’s a day for the blood services across the globe to collectively recognise and thank their donors for their support.

It’s also National Blood Week here in the UK whereby NHS Blood and Transplant ask previous donors to help inspire more people to do something genuinely life changing.  This is even more so if you are O Negative, B Negative or A Negative – they need more of your blood right now!

Did you know that in just one hour you can save up to 3 lives?

So here I go, trying to get you all to book that appointment somewhere near you to donate – it’s so easy and they always need new donors – you can just click on this link to get to the NHS Blood UK https://www.blood.co.uk/.

Here are my top 10 reasons why you should take part in World Blood Donor Day:-

• • You get free biscuits afterwards (including Custard Creams)  – as many as you want
  • You get stickers to give your children that say “My mum just gave blood” (obviously my children refused to wear them)
  • You get updates on where your blood has gone – this time, mine went to University Hospital, Norwich.
  • You get to feel emotional sitting in the waiting room (which is generally full) and looking in wonder at everyone who has bothered to donate their time and their blood to a stranger.  It’s a truly beautiful thing.
  • You could literally save someone’s life or at least help improve someone’s life.
  • Without blood donations they can’t supply the much needed blood used to ease emergencies, help fight sickle cell and combat cancer
  • It doesn’t take long and the staff are really lovely and super appreciative
  • OK, OK, you’re right….I can’t think of 10 reasons and of course, the process is a little uncomfortable, but I guess we all have to imagine that one day it might be one of our loved ones who needed blood and you just have to hope that some random stranger with the same blood type decided to go and share their blood.  So it’s really, really important AND YOU GET BISCUITS.

It’s not that bad – especially if you don’t look very often and the bag is usually filled in 10 minutes or so (yes, that’s my arm, not my leg – strange angle).

Needle in the arm whilst giving blood

Here I am, the proud owner of bag of blood, waving it off on it’s way:-:-

And here is the text and then email they send you afterwards showing you the journey that my little old bag of blood made – presumably on the back of one of those blood wagon/motorbike things – blue lights and sirens at full blast!  Exciting.  Although it does say it went in a car.

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