Save a life during Blood Donor Week

During this week many people may be glued to the TV, spending hours watching football, but just think-in the time it takes to watch one half of a football match, you could give blood and save someone’s life. For those of you who don’t want to watch the football, this could be a great excuse to get out of the house and make your blood donation.

Maintaining a steady supply of blood for our hospitals is always challenging, and summer time can be all the more difficult – especially this year during the football competition. Even before the event begins, we are hearing of significant injury worries from the teams. However, if the team at the Blood Transfusion Service are not fully supported, there really could be serious consequences.

Paul McElkerney, a spokesperson for the Service said, “We don’t want people to miss key games, so most of our blood donation sessions are open in the afternoon and evenings. If these are unsuitable we should have several other sessions reasonably close by – so please try to donate at your home venue, or maybe one not too far away. Remember, there is no substitute for blood, we really do need your help.”

If you do go along to one of the special blood donation sessions this week you will be helping save one of the five hundred patients who need blood each and every week in Northern Ireland. Your blood could go to someone injured in an accident, a child with leukaemia, someone with cancer, a mother during childbirth or someone undergoing a routine operation.

The local session in this area is at Clooney Hall Centre, Waterside Methodist Church, Clooney Terrace, on Friday, June 18, from:1pm-4pm and 5.15pm-8pm.