You have a chance to be a hero. Yes, you have it in you. You don't need to go on a battlefield, or become a superstar in sports, cinema or whatever. Just donate blood. It won't cost you anything but your precious donation would mean the difference between life and death for someone.
Image source Here are 12 reasons why you should donate blood
1.Blood cannot be produced in factories. Generous, voluntary donors are the only source of safe blood.
2. Be it accident cases or some illness, those who need blood, need it urgently. A shortage of blood can mean the difference between life and death.
3. Developing countries like India have a severe shortage of safe blood. Many people in these countries have to resort to paid blood. This practice is unhealthy for the receivers, as well as the donors. Those who sell blood for money do it out of poverty and often suffer from malnutrition and addictions. More voluntary donors can help meet the shortfall of healthy and safe blood.
Image source 4. When you donate blood, you can save upto three lives at once. There are four different types of transfusable products that can be derived from blood. These are red cells, plasma, platelets, and cryoprecipitate. Usually, two or three of these are produced from a pint of whole blood. Therefore, each donation can save up to three lives.
5. Donating blood regularly (2-3 times in a year) is a healthy practice and can help in keeping you healthy and strong.
6. Regular blood donation lowers cholesterol and lipid levels.
7. Regular blood donation decreases incidence of heart attacks, stroke.
8. Regular blood donation gives protection against some cancers.
9. Regular blood donation helps in weight reduction by burning calories.
10. Before blood donation, the blood donor is given a checkup. The donor's temperature, pulse, blood pressure, and hemoglobin are measured to ensure it is safe for the donor to give blood. This free mini-checkup can help in detecting many kinds of ailments that might be developing in the potential donor.
Image source 11. The average adult has about 10 pints of blood in body. About 1 pint of blood is extracted during a donation. A healthy donor can donate red blood cells every 56 days without any problem. A healthy donor may donate platelets just 7 days apart, a maximum of 24 times a year. Donating blood is a simple and safe process. Every good blood bank uses a sterile needle only once for each donor and then it is discarded. The actual blood donation typically takes less than 10-12 minutes.
12. If you began donating blood at age 17 and donated every 56 days until you reached 76, you would have donated 48 gallons of blood, potentially helping save more than 1,000 lives!
So donate blood, become a hero. Blood donation is the only donation that's invaluable, yet costs the donor nothing. TWEET THIS
