On Sunday morning, I received a call from a man who was desperately looking for a blood donor. The man's son has a hole in his heart and is (still) waiting for surgery. As is usually the case in local hospitals, the doctors told him that they cannot schedule a surgery without atleast 4 pints of the same type of blood. This man is from a village in KarimNagar and doesn't have friends in Hyderabad. He had a list of 30 or so numbers, from the blood bank and managed to get three donors. I was to be the fourth.
I agreed to meet him at the hospital (NIMS in Punjagutta) on Monday morning. The poor man was desperate - he called four times just to ensure that I would be there on Monday morning. I later found out that he couldn't even afford an STD booth, so he used the Re. 1 booth outside and talked really fast, 'cos he only had a minute before the call dropped out.
I dislike hospitals. They are generally depressing and the disinfectant odour doesn't help either. This is the second time I've been to this hospital to donate blood and as before, the halls downstairs were packed. People waiting for blood donors, waiting for a bed, anxious faces - just a general air of morbidness, as some others were being wheeled off for surgery.
After donating blood, I wanted to meet the little kid, who had been in the hospital for two weeks already. So, we went to the kid's ward. Vijay is a bundle of joy - wouldn't sit still for an instant. He had an excited look on his face and was busy running around, playing with the other kids in the ward. I spoke with some of the parents in the ward - there were other kids with a similar problem. The anxiety of these parents was a complete contrast to the blissful joy of the children, who were just enjoying being away from school, with a chance to make friends with other kids and play all day. They do not understand that any moment, their little hearts could stop beating.
Imagine the pain of being a parent and having to run around organising blood donors, paying hospital bills, waiting for a surgery date, not knowing the fate of your child's life... living each moment knowing that the longer the kid goes without surgery, the higher your chances of losing him. The quiet desperation of a parent. I've given blood before, but never met the people who eventually needed it. This meeting made me realise how such a simple act can, indeed save lives.
People need to realise the importance of donating blood. Just one pint of blood can save upto three lives. The best argument for rolling up your sleeve is still to do someone else good, but there are other benefits associated with regular visits to a blood bank.
I was touched. Listening to a poor man's struggle to give his son a chance to live, helped me put my life into perspective. Putting aside my male ego, I admit that I couldn't stop myself from crying as I drove away from the hospital.
