Thursday, March 15, 2007

It feels great !!



That's what the badge I got read: "I donated blood today....It feels great".

Today, a blood donation drive was conducted in our college by the NSS wing of our college. On last two occasions I was unable to participate in this drive, but finally today I got a chance to do a tiny little part for the society I live in.

The response for the blood donation drive was enormous and I had to wait in a long queue awaiting my turn. Finally I was called and a sample of my blood was taken for the haemoglobin test and for the Thalassaemia test. Thalassaemia major is a lesser known genetic, blood disorder which affects the child if both the parents are Thalassaemia minor. The child has to undergo blood transfussion on an average of 15 days. So along with the blood donation drive, we were also going to be tested for Thalassaemia minor.

I was very enthusiastic while I lay down on the cot, since this was the first time I was going to donate blood. The medic came and put the syringe inside me. I lay quietly and my heart went out to the 1 lakh children of India who were undergoing this hellish expeience of being a Thalassaemia major. I also remembered the victims of the bomb blasts when people all over Mumbai poured in to donate blood. And it felt nice that I could actually save lives by lying on the cot for 5-10 minutes. It gave me a great deal of satisfaction as my blood flowed out of me, ready to serve someone needing it more than I needed.

Hardly a few minutes passed and I was on my feet again, feeling no dizziness or numbness whatsoever.My friends and I sat down for a cup of coffee and biscuits. Everyone was smiling and happy for the cause they had volunteered.

And I thought, "Was this one of the selfless act I did?" My heart replied in the negative and my mind told me, "Certainly not, YOU felt nice and YOU felt satisfied. So where is the question of there being a selfless act?"

Smiling, I agreed with my mind and put on my shoes...

3 comments:

hbj007 said...

yes dude...it certainly feels great that we have saved the life of not three but four ppl ie the three parts of the blood that will be utilised by the different patients and the fourth most importantly is our child....we are slowly but steadly headin to stop more ppl from givin birth to Thalassaemia major children...

nehudfriend said...

great to know that there are more ppl concerned. i have been donating blood regularly since i turned 18 n i feel its the only thing i can truly say is something which is truly mine that i can share with someone n help them.

Jayee Patil said...

"If I cannot do great things, I can do small things in a great way.".. i read that some where!just like millions others i too have the desire to do something for the needy..those who are less fortunate than us for no fault of their own..
but to be realistic.. not many of us really have time to go out our way and do something for them
u see in those innocent eyes of a child left to cry on a railway station.. and u ask urself"how can anyone do that?" Blood..is something that is most commonly required by hospitals..and it is..well LEAST commonly available..
so when i donate blood i feel like i am doing that small thing..something atleast..i am not one those who watch horrible things happen!!