By Reverend Alexa Ho
Sighting the needle that will be used to poke my index finger to test my blood type almost got me saying, “Sorry, I think I won’t be able to donate. Not today.”
Almost.
But I donated anyway.
Why?
Because when we donate our blood, others live. So, even though I was fearful of needles, and not a fan of blood, I am convinced that I should conquer my fear and discomfort so as to help overcome the problem of lack of blood supply in hospitals.
The blood donation drive on Feb. 17 (right after the CNY holidays) at our premises drew about 50 pax, with 10 people turned away for failing to meet the blood donor eligibility criteria. There seems to be quite a number of ‘rules’ before you get to donate. For example, I was made aware that people under certain medication or slept less than 5 hours the night before, or women having their menstrual period or breastfeeding won’t qualify. So, my advice for us is to check the criteria before showing up at the donation premises, and encourage friends that can, to make time to give.
The whole process from registration to resting after donation only took me 40 minutes (or less for those whose blood flow faster haha), so waver no more – go find out where the next blood donation drive is and donate your blood to save lives!
Get Involved
🩸 Join the life-saving cause today by becoming a blood donor. Visit here to find out when the next blood donation drive is scheduled and make a difference.