The blood that saved my life

BOITSHEPO BOLELE | Friday April 16, 2010 00:00

 

I was so dizzy and my heart was beating so loud I initially thought somebody was beating a drum, so deafening was the sound. It took a while for me to recognise that it was my heart! I took a bath and before I could dry myself, I needed to rest awhile. I gathered as much courage as I could and went through the motions that day although my chest was beating up to a crescendo. By midday, I had to seek medical attention and it wasn't until the next day that I went for a physical examination and was told that my haemoglobin levels had reached unacceptable levels and I urgently needed a blood transfusion. By then I felt suffocated, my throat was closing up, just the effort of pulling a sweater over my head was an impossible task and I was rushed to the nearest hospital.

The first thing they did when I got to the hospital was check my blood pressure and temperature. I am the kind of person who likes to guard my personal space but that night my barriers came crashing down as my beliefs about life, judgments I had placed upon other people crumbled; my mindset was about to be reset and an assessment of my personal values was about to be eroded forever. In less than 24hrs, I came to the realisation that we are all blood brothers and sisters and equally valuable.

Within two hours of the blood transfusion, my journey back to life started and what a journey it was! As the stream of blood flowed into my veins, I felt my palpitations subside, my throat opening up, and a remarkable ease of my breathing. I understood then that I had received a gift of life and was immensely grateful for it. With this gift, hope to continue living a productive life was restored. Not just for myself but to also have a positive impact on other people.

It was through this personal crisis that I learnt the importance of haemoglobin. Prior to this, I had no clue to the meaning of this term. Apparently haemoglobin can be measured to tell the sufficiency of your blood supply. Experts explained to me that this is a protein in the blood that contains iron. It carries oxygen to the body tissues and gives blood its red colour. I have also learnt that women are 10 times more likely than men to be iron-deficient. There are many symptoms of low iron level which differ according to each person. It is not everyone who will experience all the symptoms and some may not even be noticeable. Some of the symptoms are: pale skin colour, fatigue, irritability, dizziness, weakness, shortness of breath, sore tongue, brittle nails, decreased appetite (especially in children), and headache.

Furthermore, the amount of haemoglobin in the blood varies daily. In many cases, a change in diet is all that's needed to raise the iron count to acceptable levels, although it can take several months to build up the haemoglobin with just the diet.I had never before truly understood the process and psychology behind blood donations. As a teenager, I was a Grade-A student, and felt I had the whole world at my feet. The mere sight of blood however nauseated me and never entertained the idea of pursuing a profession in the medical field. Little did I know that a day would come, when I would feel the flow of somebody else's blood in my veins.

With this experience, blood itself took a whole new meaning to me. I had a better understanding of its importance, that it contains water that the body needs for cleansing. Also that it is a carriage through which nutrients are passed to the rest of the body and most importantly, circulates oxygen.

I had to discard my own prejudices too, in order to embrace a new humanism. All this time when I was compartmentalising people according to their sexual orientation, labeling them gay and lesbian, the same people were heading the blood donation call. When I was busy worshipping the rich and despising the poor, both groups were playing their part in saving people's lives through donating blood.

Who saved my life that night I ponder?It could have been a fellow Christian like me or a Muslim or a Hindu - it could be my Chief or a subject of an oppressed tribe from anywhere in the world - it could have been a criminal on death row, a murderer or it could have been a nun. Above everything else, what if it was my worst enemy's life-giving blood that now flowed in my veins? What is crucial for me is that it could have been anybody.  What I learnt that night is that the true essence of life that is carried in our blood, is above the petty limitations, divisions and judgments that we place on each other. As long as blood groups match, details like race, religion, age or gender are immaterial.

Blood joins us in a bond that transcends all differences. I learnt that the gift of blood is not just a gift of life; it's a gift to life. It helps to build bridges of brotherhood and break down the walls of race, religion, creed and greed. Research has established clear blood groups. Beyond this scientific grouping, there is no caste, colour or religion attached to blood. The only race is human race; the only religion is service to humanity. The noble cause of blood donation can unite the entire human species.

Through this experience, I am now kinder to strangers. I treat everybody equally, no more emphasis on race, social profile, financial divide - people are equal before me. I am more forgiving. I have empathy for people in whatever situation. Through the blood transfusion, I have been totally freed to live as one with my fellow human beings and it's a gift I will treasure forever. Above all, I am grateful to God for making me realise this.