When we hear the word “Hero”, we tend to think of someone who is admired for their courage and outstanding achievements, a person who puts someone else before themselves, someone who makes a difference in the lives of others. You may think that becoming a real life superhero is difficult and not easily achieved, but the truth is, you don’t need to shoot spider webs from your wrists or wear your underwear over your pants. Welcome to our A Beginner Guide to Becoming A Local Hero! You just need to follow a few easy steps and you too can become a life-saving superhero. We know we are preaching to the converted, but nothing wrong with a few tips that you can pass on to a family member or friend. Be sure to share this article on social media!
The first step is making sure you meet the basic blood donor criteria.
- You need to be between 16 and 75 years old to register as a blood donor,
- weigh at least 50kg,
- be medically healthy,
- lead a safe sexual lifestyle,
- and be committed to helping others.
The next step to becoming a superhero is finding your nearest blood donation clinic. You can do this by either visiting our Where Can I Donate page, sending us a WhatsApp at 0605497244 or an email to info@wcbs.org.za.
You are now two steps closer to superhero status. Once you have found a clinic that is convenient for you, make sure you have eaten a substantial meal within the three to four hours before heading off to donate blood and be sure to increase your fluid intake on the day. Remember to take your ID along so we can register you on our system.
Once at the clinic, you will complete a confidential health and lifestyle questionnaire. Your haemoglobin level will be checked with a finger prick test and the sister will check your blood pressure, your pulse, as well as your completed donor questionnaire.
If all is okay, you get to lie back and donate your life-saving unit of blood. And just like that, you’re a real life hero, who saved not one but three lives in one heroic act. And like any true hero, we hope that you will be back in 56 days to do it all again because as one superhero once said “A true hero isn’t measured by the size of his strength, but by the size of his heart.”
