Island Life Magazine Ltd August/September 2012 | Page 123

FASHION HEALTH & BEAUTY

Donate blood
the awesome gift

Blood donors are in short supply. Perhaps
you want to be one, and don’t know how.
Read on...
It has been described as the most awesome

BLOOD

FACTS
• The age limit preventing regular
blood donors from continuing to give
blood beyond their 70th birthday was
removed because of the improved
health and fitness of older donors.
• Donated blood is used not only in
accident and emergency situations,
but also for patients undergoing
surgery and receiving treatment for
cancer and blood diseases, such as
leukaemia.
• A test for West Nile Virus (WNV) was
introduced for certain blood donors on
May 1 Blood from donors who have
returned from countries where WNV
is prevalent are now tested, allowing
immediate donation following a visit to
those affected countries.

gift anyone can give. Basically giving blood can
saves lives.
It is so easy to do, yet many Islanders able to
give blood never get around to it. In an Island
population of around 140,000, only about four
per cent are blood donors; that means there
around 5,500 donors on the Island who regularly
give blood.
It is a fairly simple procedure. Potential donors
can turn up, preferably by appointment, answer
a few questions, have a finger pricked to check
iron levels, and then wait for a team member
to insert the needle in the arm. In about five to
10 minutes one pint of blood will have freely
flowed into the system specially designed for the
purpose.
It really is as easy as that. Ring the Donor
Helpline on 0300 1232323 to make the first
move and join a team of very special people.

www.visitislandlife.com

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