There is no doubting the fact that giving blood saves lives. You and your extraordinary blood save the lives of people all over the world every second of every day. But do we really know how important blood donation is and what our extraordinary blood does for ourselves and others?
I’m sure if we were all fully aware of the importance of blood donation that many more people would be happy to donate their blood. Not to mention how thankful we would be to receive a blood donation if we ourselves or family members desperately needed it in an emergency.
My Experience with Blood Donation
Ever since I was little, I remember my Mum and Dad going to the local community hall to donate their blood. I even remember going with them once or twice and seeing lots of people lying on the beds giving theirs too.
At the time, I don’t think I quite understood it all and I certainly didn’t understand what an amazing thing my parents were doing. I wonder how many lives they have saved over the years.
I’m ashamed to admit that I have never donated blood. Not for any reason other than it’s a complete and utter nightmare to get any blood from me. Literally, it’s like getting blood from a stone.
Finding my veins is always a major task for nurses/doctors and I always end up looking like a pin cushion at the end of the ordeal. Even when they do find a vein the chance of a steady flow of blood into the tube is extremely low.
My most recent experience being admitted to hospital last year with suspected sepsis took the medical staff almost two hours to find a good vein. My arms, hands and feet were poked and prodded until they admitted defeat and decided to take blood from my groin. Thankfully, it was less traumatic than it sounds.
Personally, I would donate blood in a heartbeat and would if there was an easier way for me to do so.
Why is Our Extraordinary Blood so Important?
As I’ve mentioned earlier blood saves lives and can be used in different situations such as patients with anaemia, cancer, surgery and childbirth.
Red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets and plasma are the four components which make up our blood. Each component is separated and then given to patients depending on their condition. This means that one blood donation can then go on to treat several conditions and patients. Pretty extraordinary.
Fun Facts About Blood
- We have gold running through our blood. Around 0.2 milligrams of gold to be exact.
- Blood makes up around 7% of our body weight.
- In just one day our blood travels 12 thousand miles around our bodies.
- There are 60 thousand miles of blood vessels in the human body.
- Our blood type is inherited from our parents.
- Blood is 80% water and 20% solids.
- Your heart will pump 1.5millions barrels of blood in your lifetime.
Raising Awareness of Blood Donation
More awareness of blood donation and how incredibly important it is will hopefully increase the number of blood donations. An effective way to do this is through knowledge. Let’s be honest, not everyone will want to read up on a ton of information on the subject of blood, so Medical Travel Compared has created a fun interactive tool instead. This fun and interesting tool were designed to show us how our own blood works in our bodies.
By simply entering your body weight the interactive tool will tell you how much blood you started your life with and how much your body currently contains. For my body weight, I currently have around 5.8 pints of blood compared to 0.5 pints when I was born.
It will then tell you how those pints of blood are made up and the numbers are likely to blow your mind as they did mine. For my 5.8 pints of blood, it’s got 16.5 trillion red blood cells, 23.1 billion white blood cells and 1.0 trillion platelets. It’s amazing to think they are all working together and essentially keeping me healthy and alive.
Another interesting fact this interactive tool will show you is how much a typical blood donation amount compares in comparison to everyday items. It will also tell you how long you have been on the website and how much blood has been donated around the world in that time.
It’s a great way to understand your blood, breakdown what it does and how it can save lives. It is also a great way for kids to learn about their blood in a fun way.
Are you a blood donor? Is giving blood something you have thought about but not done yet? Share your experiences in the comments below.
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*Disclaimer: This post is sponsored, however, content is my honest and unbiased opinion.
One Response
I’m a member of the Gallon Club, meaning I’ve donated a gallon of blood (not all at once, though). Now that I’m in a wheelchair, the bloodmobiles aren’t accessible, so I haven’t donated in several years. I’m in the US, if that makes a difference.