World Blood Donor Day 2013 Testimonials

 

Testimonies from blood donation beneficiaries have been recorded and published below. 

robin sanchez

thank you, simply thank you, because through your donation you gave me life, thank you because, without knowing me, you decided to be the hero/heroin of my life and my family. 
Robin A. Sanchez

Robin's Testimony

Suddenly, two years ago, my 54 year old father, Robin A. Sanchez suffered a drastic fall of his red blood cell levels to 3 million cells/mcL., pouting his life at risk. Our doctors asked us to urgently locate eight O- blood donors to compensate his very low hemoglobin levels. In such a desperate situation we spent a week looking for donors, which became impossible until we got the Caracas Municipal Blood Bank's help through PAHO.

After receiving the transfusion he was subjected to further tests where it was discovered that he had Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia, which meant that we where only at the beginning and had a long way to go before recovery. During the following year my father was periodically transported to the hospital (through emergency) to receive blood transfusions, which helped him avoid the risks caused by having extremely low hemoglobin levels.

Today; two years after that nightmare, thanks to the collaboration of all those men and women that selflessly, voluntarily and with no interest of gaining anything in exchange go each day to the blood banks to donate a little bit of life to the people who are in a difficult and unexpected period of their lives; my father leads a completely normal live and has the will to continue fighting.

Heroes are not only those who fight or combat for the freedom of the nation: there are heroes that help to give life and maintain the will of those who are in a difficult moment of their lives.
"Thank you for being a part of my life, thank you for giving me hope, for giving me the opportunity to keep enjoying, to know my grand children, to see the true value of life; thank you, simply thank you, because through your donation you gave me life, thank you because, without knowing me, you decided to be the hero/heroin of my life and my family" M. Robin A. Sanchez.

Luis A. Vidal

At that moment the beneficiary of that help was my mother (and with her my entire family), but tomorrow the beneficiary could be any family member or loved one. 
Luis A. Vidal

Luis' Testimony 

In November 2007, my mother had problems of cardiac arrhythmia that demanded a catheterization. Unfortunately, the incision point, in the area of the groin, did not cicatrize well and, a few days after the operation, my mother's hemoglobin levels started to fall very fast because of internal bleeding.

The doctors started to give her blood transfusions frequently. At that moment we contacted through PAHO Lía Talavera (Coordinator of the "Bancos de sangre del Ministerio del Poder Popular para la Salud), who immediate helped us.

Through this experience I wanted transmit, firstly the excellent disposition of the organizations involved in this process and our eternal gratitude for their attention, but over everything else, the importance of donating blood. I wanted to transmit, the value to society of all the men and women that selflessly and voluntarily go to the blood banks donate a little life to those that are going though delicate moments of their lives.

At that moment the beneficiary of that help was my mother (and with her my entire family),but tomorrow the beneficiary could be any family member or loved one.

Germania Padilla Marmolejos

thanks the blood donations I was given, I am still alive 
Germania P. Marmolejos

Germania's Testimony

November 11th of 2000, I was injured in a serious car accident caused by a driver under the influence of alcohol, which caused the displacement of my femur, a rotation of my hip in three different points, a division in two of my pelvis, and a serious affection of my femoral vein. I was subject to a chirurgic intervention in my delicate state caused by a sever blood loss, for which it was necessary to perform the transfusion of 10 blood units. During my treatment a second chirurgic intervention was necessary, which called for additional transfusions. Today, even if I live with a prosthesis pelvis and suffer of cervical vertebra problems, I attest that thanks the blood donations I was given, I am still alive