I give blood to save lives

“Tears of a mother cannot save her Child. But your Blood can.” Anonymous

Aisha Dafalla, 55, donated blood for the very first time at the age of 17 while in Form Three during a blood drive in high school. She was encouraged to do because they would be given free soda and bread.

On arriving at the blood donation site, the facilitators explained what was required of her, including a weight check and drawing a blood sample to check the haemoglobin level.

Everything was going smoothly until the actual donation started.

“I fainted and I was unconscious for about 10 minutes. My friends were in shock. I later understood that I had suffered a panic attack. Thankfully, volunteers from St John Ambulance were nearby to administer first aid.”

Although she got to enjoy the soda and bread later on, the donation process turned out to be one of the scariest moments of her life -- it felt like a near-death experience.

CHANGE OF HEART

For the next five years, she couldn’t bring herself to participate in giving blood. She feared for her life.

One day, a close friend approached her with a request for blood donation. Her friend's brother had been involved in a grisly road accident and urgently needed a blood transfusion. He was admitted at Nairobi Hospital.

“It was a desperate situation and I could not help it. I’m a universal blood donor...so I decided to take the risk.”

That was in 1986. The transfusion was successful and it saved the life of her friend’s brother.

That incident made Aisha realise the importance of giving blood and she made a commitment to be a regular blood donor. She donates blood three times a year.

RECOGNITION

In 2016, Aisha was named the highest female blood donor in Kenya during the World Blood Donor Day celebrations in Nairobi.

The mother of three has donated 61 times, making her the second highest donor after Kennedy Alpha Sanya, a public prosecutor in Nakuru County. The recognition came as a pleasant surprise.

“I had no idea that there are records kept on the highest blood donors. For me, giving blood had become more of a habit. The recognition was a very humbling experience.”

Aisha is a community worker and an avid campaigner of blood donation. She often urges women to donate when they can because most of the regular transfusions help other women, such as when mothers need blood replacement after giving birth.

According to Aisha, healthy men should donate even more regularly as they do not face biological hindrances like women such as pregnancy, menstruation and breastfeeding.

She adds that the blood donated serves many purposes in saving and preserving life.

“Some expectant women require blood during transfusion, so do some cancer patients and accident survivors. There is need for blood every day.”

CAMPAIGNER

When Aisha met her husband, he had never donated blood. But with some persuasion, she recruited him into the blood donor community.

She later on recruited her son, who is now 23 years old. He donated for the first time while in Form Three—just like his mother had.

“My son has so far donated 10 times and I know that he will carry forward my legacy once I am too old to donate.”

Aisha plans to stop donating blood when she turns 60.

SAFE BLOOD

In order to give blood, Aisha notes that it is important to be keen on one’s diet. She insists that blood donors should eat plenty of fruits and vegetables as part of a well-balanced diet, as well as exercise.

“This helps the body rejuvenate itself and boosts production of more blood cells.”

She says that responsible behaviour is key in ensuring that the blood you give is safe for its recipients. She advises against reckless behaviour such as promiscuity and drunkenness, which may lead to donors contracting diseases that make their blood unsafe for transfusion.

“I learnt that three teaspoons of blood can save a premature baby. Don’t wait for accidents or emergency cases for you to donate blood,” Aisha adds.