By Jihaan Opperman
It is true what they say; not all heroes wear capes; they save lives in just 30 minutes. We spoke to 3 of our local heroes and asked them what inspired them to be blood donors, and this is what they had to say:
Elaine Zeeman is an A+ whole blood donor and donates blood at Black River Park. So far, she has donated 25 units of blood. “It was always a cool thing to do, and all the freebies were a thing at school”, says Elaine. She added that, “the juice and cookies were just a bonus to get me to donate.” She continued her lifesaving journey and kept on donating. “You need to give in order to receive – you never know when you might be on the receiving side. It is the right thing to do, and if you are healthy, especially now during winter while everyone is sick, you should donate blood”, she added.
Pamela Ntseke is an A+ platelet donor. She donates platelets at our apheresis unit situated at our head office. To date, she has donated 67 times. Not only is Pamela a committed blood donor, she is also one of our very dedicated staff members. “Before I joined the service, I was a Blood Donor Representative – we helped organise blood donation clinics at our place of work. All I knew was they needed space, and they needed blood… Now that I work for the service, and having to see the need for blood and blood products, with an understanding of what this means for a patient who desperately needs blood, I feel truly honoured to give as much as I can”, says Pamela. Her wish is that everyone who can donate can get a chance to help save lives. “It does not cost much, just a few minutes of your time and the joy that you can make a difference in someone else’s life”, she added.
Arrie van Niekerk is an A+ plasma donor at our Long Street branch and donated 172 times to date. “I started donating blood when my grandfather got cancer, and he needed a blood transfusion”, says Arrie. He started donating whole blood and now donates plasma, which he absolutely enjoys. He would like to encourage people to donate blood and emphasise that 1 donation can save up to 3 lives. “You are not only helping the person in need but also their family. You never know when you might be in the position of needing blood”, says Arrie.
Selflessness, bravery and saving lives are all acts of heroism. So even though you might not wear a cape in real life, you are the unsung hero in our eyes. So, wear your invisible cape with pride, and start rehearsing your very own catchphrase. We know the world needs more heroes like you!
For more information about platelet or plasma donation, click on the links above or send us a WhatsApp at 060 549 7244.
