Voluntary blood donors like Bengaluru’s Swaroop Gopal believe in being available with healthy blood to help a person battling for life. With regular blood donation comes the baggage of consciously choosing a healthy diet, ensuring being infection free and physically fit. There is, however, an advantage to donating blood. A blood donor undergoes routine health checkups and stays healthy. With regular blood donation, the iron load in the body reduces and hence blood donation helps in reducing cardiovascular risks.
Swaroop, 47, an engineer from Bengaluru has done 115 blood donations. These include whole blood, platelets (colourless cell fragments in the blood) and granulocytes (white blood cells) donation.
Voluntary blood donors: How they change lives
He recalls his first blood donation in 1997 when he donated blood for an aunt undergoing surgery. He felt a sense of satisfaction as a voluntary blood donor.
“I became more informed and regularly donated blood when I was in Australia for my higher studies. I got in touch with the Red Cross and became a registered voluntary blood donor,” says Swaroop. The blood bank authorities from the Red Cross used to follow up every 75-80 days with a blood donation requirement.
Swaroop is O-positive. Upon returning to India in 2003, Swaroop visited hospitals once every three months and donated blood based on their requirements. “In 2007, there was a meeting of voluntary blood donors in a private hospital. By then, I had made over 40 donations without maintaining donation details. I got in touch with Lion’s Bloodline and registered myself as a donor,” says Swaroop. He is a registered volunteer with the Lion’s Bloodline, run by the Lions Club of Bengaluru, Sanjaynagar.
Preparations before your blood donation
Any healthy person aged 18-65 years with no infection and an ideal hemoglobin level can be a blood donor. In women the hemoglobin level should be more than 12.5 gm/dl and in men, it should be more than 13 gm/dl.
Ensure that you keep yourself healthy, infection free, avoid alcohol three to four days before donation, avoid smoking and do not take supplements or medication, says Swaroop. “Diet and exercise are a must to keep oneself fit and healthy,” he adds.
The potential donor’s blood parameters, heart rate, pulse and body temperature are assessed before blood donation.
After blood donation
According to the International Red Cross Society, a non-profit creating awareness on blood donation, everyone must follow these measures after blood donation.
- Drink extra liquid.
- In case of dizziness or fainting episodes, lie down.
- Avoid heavy lifting or vigorous exercises for the rest of the day.
- No alcohol for the next 24 hours.
- Eat iron-rich food.
Swaroop talks about his ways of dealing with it. “Soon after blood donation, there will be a temporary dip in blood pressure and many donors experience fatigue, dizziness. One can deal with it by hydrating before and after blood donation,” says Swaroop.
Swaroop maintains an average hemoglobin level of 12.7 to 13.2 gm/dl. “I have iron-rich food – spinach, beetroot, sprouted dals, peanuts and other proteins in my diet. Since the pandemic, I have been consuming a glass of milk with turmeric and pepper to keep myself healthy and boost immunity.”
What motivates a blood donor?
While most people can be blood donors, not everyone can be a platelet or granulocyte donor, adds Swaroop, mentioning that many potential donors are afraid of the sight of the blood. Blood donation is a noble gesture where it fulfils the requirements of a person battling a health issue.
“I may not be able to help anyone financially, but this is something I can do. I feel happy that I am helping someone recover physically. We, all voluntary donors, hope that they recover,” says Swaroop.
Swaroop consciously avoids knowing the details of the recipients. “I refrain from asking for details about the recipient when I get in touch with the family. The need of the hour is blood donation and I just do that. The family is already in pain. I feel I should not add to it with additional queries,” says Swaroop.
Impact of blood donation
Swaroop is a regular blood donor at Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology, a government-run cancer hospital in Bengaluru. “The families from other states have difficulty accessing voluntary blood donors. I reach out to Kidwai frequently to donate blood components,” said Swaroop.
He recalls the case of a 45-year-old man with cancer in Kidwai to whom he has donated blood nine times. During the lockdown period, he donated twice including to a man from Kenya suffering from cancer.
In another instance, in 2019, Swaroop along with another voluntary donor, Anand Subrahmanya, donated platelets to a person requiring a liver transplant who was rushed from Chennai to a Bengaluru hospital. “The blood donation was done after 10 pm and it was past midnight when we reached home,” recalls Swaroop.
Takeaways
- A healthy lifestyle and an iron-rich and protein-rich diet are necessary to donate blood.
- A hemoglobin level of 12.5 gm/dl in women and 13 gm/dl in men is required to make a blood donation.
- Voluntary blood donors can register with blood banks, hospitals and routinely donate as required.
