Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Despite being a life-saving act, blood donation remains a challenging task for many due to misconceptions surrounding the practice. In particular, women have reservations about donating blood, fearing that this may result in weakness, given the blood loss they experience during menstruation. There is also the added layer of resistance from family members.
On the eve of World Blood Donor Day, Free Press spoke with four women professionals in their early 30s, who have been actively donating blood. Despite initial reservations from family and societal pressures, each woman went on to become a regular blood donor, having donated blood multiple times.
One woman shared her story of abandoning a journey to board a bus for another city, in order to donate blood for the mother of a 45-day-old girl who needed urgent blood transfusion. Both are now healthy and the woman has donated blood over 50 times. “I donate blood because it can save lives. I also donate blood because it reaffirms my faith and faith of others in humanity. As a donor, I have never faced problems. No weakness, nothing,” she said.
Another woman shared how she first donated blood to her guru, who was suffering from internal bleeding and needed B negative blood. Despite her mother asking her to inform her before donating blood next time, the woman continued to donate regularly, saying “if my body can be of any use to someone, why should I hesitate? It is a win-win situation for donor and recipient. The donor’s body produces fresh blood and recipient’s life is saved.”
For one woman, the decision to donate blood was made out of necessity. When her father fell ill, no donor could be found, and the family members initially refused the woman’s offer due to her being young, female, and fasting during Navratri. The woman persisted, however, saying “it would be shameful if I couldn’t help even my father because of my gender or age.” Since then, she has been donating blood on a regular basis.
For the last woman, the decision to become a regular blood donor came after her mother, a cancer patient, urgently needed blood and no donor was available. Unfortunately, her mother passed away. In her honor, the woman pledged to donate blood as many times as possible and has stuck to her word ever since. The woman believes there is still a need for greater awareness of blood donation and encourages others to do their part.
Misconceptions surrounding blood donation remain prevalent, but these four women are a testament to its life-saving potential. Their courage and willingness to donate have likely saved many lives, and they hope to inspire others to follow in their footsteps. As we observe World Blood Donor Day, it is important to dispel any apprehensions and spread awareness about the importance of blood donation. Donating blood can be a win-win situation for both donor and recipient, as the body produces fresh blood for the donor, while the recipient’s life is saved.
