June 14th is World Blood Donor Day. This is a day to remind people of the importance of giving blood. It is not possible to manufacture blood so if a patient needs a blood transfusion, that blood has to come from another person.
Who can donate blood? Anyone in good health who has a minimum weight of 50 kg and is between the ages of 16 and 66. You can donate every 3 months. Your body replaces the fluid in just 24 hours but it takes 6 to 8 weeks to replace the red blood cells. One donation of blood can save up to 3 patients. O negative is called the universal blood type and can be used for most patients so there is a greater need for this type.
Each week, hospitals in NZ need 3,000 donations of blood. Only 4% of eligible people become blood donors. Donating blood is easy and usually painless. The process takes only 10 to15 minutes then the donor has a cup of tea and a biscuit afterwards.
The NZ Blood Donor service now has an app for your phone. It can remind donors when it’s time to make another appointment and also tell donors how their blood was used.
Vocabulary
• donor (n), donation (n), donate (v) – a person who gives (n), something that is given (n), to give (v)
• manufacture – make e.g. in a factory
• patient (n) – a person n hospital
• transfusion (n) – process where blood is given to a patient
• fluid (n) – liquid e.g. water, blood
• universal (adj) – for all
• eligible (adj) – healthy people who are the right age and could give blood
Questions
1. Why do some people give blood?
2. Why don’t most people give blood?