Give a little of yourself
Donors tell what it’s like giving blood in Russia, and why they do it.
For many, giving blood is an easy way to earn some extra money, but there are others who are blood donors for charitable reasons. Donors who give blood for free tell what motivates them, whether they’re afraid of needles, and how was their first experience.
Svetlana Afanasyeva, St. Petersburg
“Every hour somebody for some reason needs a blood transfusion. I know that I can help at least one person, completely without harming my own health. So why not do it?
“For a long time I wanted to give blood, but like everybody else I was afraid, thinking it was harmful. I was tormented by the prejudices, and people even said that artifi cial blood was already being used. But an acquaintance who works as an anesthesiologist enlightened me. And I really like the site www.yadonor.ru, which explains everything in detail.
“The first time I went, of course it was frightening. But the staff was friendly, everything went well, and they explained everything, told me all about it, inquired how I felt afterwards and only after they were sure I was okay did they send me home to rest.”
Lyubov Udod, Rostov-on-Don
“I became a blood donor for the fi rst time at the age of 18. It wasn’t scary, not the first time, or afterwards.
“I always look at the needle and watch the blood bag fill up. I’m not afraid. I’ve often seen men pass out when giving blood, while women fi nd it easier to withstand.
“Now I don’t get to give blood very often, mainly because it’s not easy to take a whole day off work. In general I give blood just for the sake of it, knowing, of course, that it saves lives, but I don’t attach any other meaning to it. I plan to get the title of Honorary Donor – maybe then I will realize the importance of it all.”
Maria Mikhantyeva, Moscow
“It’s understood that donors get all kinds of bonuses like free meals and days off work. It’s understood that giving blood is beautiful and noble – the blood donation room at the Russian Children’s Clinical Hospital is covered in posters with thanks from the little patients. But you don’t get to think about that. Laziness and apathy triumph – and also after giving blood you get very hungry.
“Lying on the couch at the Vishnevsky Surgical Institute one summer morning in 2011, I heard about the air crash near Petrozavodsk – there’s a television in the room. That evening, it was reported that the survivors had been brought to Moscow – right to that place where I’d given blood a few hours earlier. That’s when I understood for the fi rst time that donors can save someone’s life. And also – that I’d rather not save anybody. It would be better if nobody was sick or got into any catastrophes, but while I don’t know how to organize such a utopia, I’ll keep going and giving blood.”
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