REGULAR 'SAFE' BLOOD DONORS (PPC)
We know that this is not always true for a number of reasons,
but mostly Christians lead lives that glorify our Lord and
therefore should be able to provide a source of 'safe' blood.
We all were converted sometime in our life to Christianity
and what went before was washed away by His selfless sacrifice
upon the cross and by his forgiving blood.
There are none amongst us who can cast the first stone in
judgement upon anyone's life and therefore we do not judge
anyone whose body and blood may still bear the stain of a
previous life.
Blood banks strive to have a committed group of regular donors
who they trust because the blood that they donate is 'safe'.
This means that they still check every form, and every answer
as well as testing every donation for a number of communicable
diseases. It means that they can usually rely on having the same
results from this scrutiny and therefore they can feel confident
that when the donor donates that their blood will find it's life
giving way to another in need.
What Blood banks do not need are a number of people arriving for
a donation, usually for the first time or after a lapsed period,
and donating just to see whether they test positive or negative
for HIV or AIDS. Most Blood banks are strapped for resources and
this means of testing merely consumes vital resources and provides
nothing if the blood does indeed test positive.
We advocate and advise that people who are unsure of the 'safety'
of their blood should approach blood donation responsibly. By this
we mean that they should rather go to a clinic or hospital and have
their blood tested for whatever it is that they are concerned about
first. If they do go to a Blood bank clinic they should be upfront
and honest in answering the questionnaire that they must fill in
beforehand. Also, they must trust the staff and explain their concerns
to them rather than try to hide the real facts.
Counselling is available to anybody who has contracted a blood disease
and should be handled extremely sensitively and professionally. We aim
to expand our services to provide counselling to those that require it.
There is no shame in a blood disease and as Christians we should be
showing concern and care for those afflicted rather than punishing them.
Let us all commit ourselves to donating blood at least 4 times a year so
that we can assist those in need. It is a true gift of oneself, a truly
selfless act.
