“4th Place – I lost my cousin because there was no blood available at the facility’s blood bank to save her life.”
Samuel’s Story
Around 4 pm thereabout on that fateful day, the 25th day of July 2011, an unsolicited call came through. It was from a cousin who wouldn’t call you unless she needed something, so I picked up hesitantly. For some few seconds she wouldn’t say anything. When she finally spoke, all she said was; ‘Grace is dead’. In shock, I asked what happened? I did so because I knew she (Grace) was counting down her final days to deliver her baby, that would have been her second child. Her respond was that she
died as a result of bleeding after delivery at a private medical facility in Accra. When I asked couldn’t the doctors give her some blood infusion to save her life, the response was as you may guess. I lost my cousin because there was no blood available at the facility’s blood bank to save her life.
I was aware that one could make voluntary donations to save those in need of the blood. That was when I decided to become a voluntary blood donor.
After my first two voluntary donations, organized by Luv Fm and Boss Fm (media stations) in Kumasi, I had a call from the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital Blood Bank to come and serve a dying soul. This call came when I was having my honeymoon in January 2013. From a little research I found out that A- donors are not very common, so I made a promise to myself to donate at least twice a year once, whenever I am fit to do so. I have since donated 31 times, but two situations touched me especially deeply.
In March 2021, I had a distress call from my wife who had gone for her antenatal at the Ejisu Government Hospital. She gave the phone to her midwife, one Madam Mercy, who pleaded with me to come and donate blood to save the life of a mother and child.
Ten years down the line, a similar situation of my cousin has surfaced and I found myself in a position to lend a helping hand. Apparently, my wife heard the conversation
between the midwife and the expectant mother. To save the situation, my wife told the midwife that her husband is a regular donor so she should talk to me, for I can be of help. Fast forward, I donated, the lady had a safe delivery and the rest was history.