A few days ago, Twitter made the national news when it started paying attention to an extraordinary BLOG written by a 15 year old girl with terminal cancer called Alice Pyne.
In the mistaken belief that one of the wishes on Alice's 'bucket list' was to trend on Twitter, thousands of users began adding the hashtag 'AliceBucketList' to their messages and she began trending worldwide on a wave of goodwill.
A proper reading of Alice's BLOG revealed a much more laudable ambition than the fleeting fame afforded by Twitter. Alice wants people to join the bone marrow register because it could save the lives of existing and future cancer patients.
In recognition of this, I tweeted: "This is all just flim-flam if we don't get ourselves on to the bone marrow register. Everyone promise to do it if they can?"
Though this message barely registered on Twitter, I knew that I had to follow through even if no-one else did.
I made enquiries and discovered that I had to be a blood donor to get on to the bone marrow register.
I've never given blood before. I've always recognised that it's a good thing to do but I've never been sufficiently motivated to do it. I don't like needles... but then who does? Never before had I felt so confronted by the cowardice and inertia which had prevented me from taking this simple step.
I looked it up on the internet and I made an appointment. After I'd made the appointment, I discovered that I ought to have registered first so I emailed a registration and received a message telling me that I'd be contacted.
By the time the appointment came around, I hadn't been contacted. But I guessed that I'd created a slot in their system and the last thing I wanted to do was occupy time that could be used by a better-organised donor.
I headed to the Blood Donation Centre in Nelson Mandela Place in Central Glasgow and explained what had happened. It turns out they're an admirably flexible outfit and they told me I could make a donation that very day.
I'm not proud of the fact that I spent the next twenty minutes in a heightened state of anxiety. It's the needle thing. Pathetic, I know. Even as I lay down to have my blood drawn, I was calculating the extent of the embarrassment if I suddenly bolted for the door. Off the scale, I decided. I stayed put.
Why did I worry? The staff could not have been friendlier or more kind. I genuinely feel that I should have been admonished for leaving it until I'm in my forties before donating blood for the first time but instead I was faced with a barrage of gratitude. It was humbling.
Turns out that it's nothing. A piece of cake. I almost enjoyed it. And I'm certainly enjoying the sense that I've done something good for no reward other than the satisfaction of doing it.
It occurred to me that I could write this BLOG to share the experience and encourage others of a similar mind to donate some of their blood. But I was painfully aware that there would be an element of self-aggrandisement in committing these words to the screen... and I hesitated.
Then I realised that it is important. I would never like to think of myself as a typical example of anything but I suspect there must be many others who were sufficiently moved by Alice's Bucket List to consider the steps I've taken. And many of them may have been gripped by the inertia that prevented me from donating blood for so many years. And maybe, just maybe, some of them will read this and it'll be the thing that persuades them to turn a good intention into a good action.
It's a widespread thing this inertia. Did you know that all the blood that's donated in the UK is being provided by just 4% of the population. Just 4%. Do you like the idea of belonging to an exclusive club? Here's your chance.
The next step for me is to register for blood donation in England because at the age of 44 I'm too old to join the Bone Marrow Register in Scotland.
I'm clearly gripped by a strain of masochistic altruism as I feel almost pleased that this isn't proving straight-forward and that I may have to pretend to live in England in order to find out if there's someone out there in need of my bone marrow.
But even if that doesn't work out, I'm very happy to report that I'm now a blood donor. Good for me. Good for Twitter. But, most of all, good for Alice.
20 comments:
I will give blood next week. Great post. Nicola
Hurrah.
I've given blood a couple of times - definitely need to do it more! Nice article.
I had exactly the same reaction, I have booked my give blood appointment and also registered with the Anthony Nolan Trust for bonemarrow, it's a wonder why it takes someone like Alice to give us all the shake we need!
Great post.
I gave 47 blood donations before becoming ineligible due to increased TSH levels. Never had a problem but was too apprehensive to go for bone marrow donation.
Please donate. Lives depend on it.
That is a fantastic movement on your part. I have been putting off giving blood for years. I'm not even afraid of needles! This is probably the push I needed to donate. Well done you.
I gave blood for the first time when I was 19. For the next 5 years I was always anaemic and failed the test where they prick your thumb and drop a bit in a tube. Though sometimes they gave me the cup of tea anyway. Once I had to say yes to one of the embarrasing questions, so they wouldn't take it then either. One year I had acupuncture from a non-NHS source, which ruled me out for a surprisingly long time. These days I am put off by the appointment system - I preferred it when you just rolled up and sat in a queue until they got your blood and gave you a biscuit. But I will try again!
Highwaylass, your perseverance is brilliant. In defence of the appointment system, I'm pretty sure you can still drop by. But by booking online, I think I jumped the queue a bit and didn't have to wait as long so it's not a bad idea.
I enjoyed reading your blog :)After reading Alice's blog it motivated me to do something I have been thinking of for awhile but hadn't got round to it. I gave blood this week, and got them to take extra blood to join NHS bone marrow register and registered with Anthony Nolan online.
I would like to be a blood donor, but, living in Australia, I'm restricted from giving blood because I lived in the UK in the 80s and 90s. However small the risk of me having CJD is, the Australian government considers it too great a risk.
As the wife of a cancer patient who receives blood during his chemotherapy, thank you. I'm not in Scotland, but I'm sure there is a wife there who is incredibly grateful.
Great to see Tweets leading to such significant action. Must say though, you don't have to be a blood donor to go on the bone marrow register. In fact, gay people are unable to give blood but are able to join the bone marrow list. I received my pack from the Anthony Nolan Trust the other day and sent my sample right back.
Well played, sir. Well played.
Sooty, I think that it's true that you don't have to donate blood to be on the bone marrow register if you do it via the Anthony Nolan Trust but they only accept people who are 40 and under.
If you're in your 40s, I think blood donation is the only route to the register... though I may be wrong.
im a little petrified of needles... however while at university i decided to man-up and donate, thinking it was worth a little pain from me to prevent someone else from suffering long term. I have donated regularly since and have persuaded a lot of my class to donate during a health fair i had to help organise (and who were my invitees at the health fair but the NI Blood Transfusion Service!). keep up the good work fellow donors!!
Fantastic blog & good points well made; let us not lose sight of why Alice is doing the blog & Twitter (although I hope she manages to tick everyone of her wishes off her list and enjoys every minute of them!) I've registered to give blood and will also speak to them about the bone marrow register. And off to the Anthony Nolan website I go too :o)
Hi Jason!
Nice post, nice actitude!
Here in Brasil is not necessary donate blood to be a bone marrow donor... but is a great idea. I've made my registration days ago, and they take 5ml blood to do the tests!
Let's donate!
It is thanks to people like you I am still alive. Such a small gift makes a huge difference to some people. Thank you x
Good on you and good on Alice. I used to give blood regularly till I start fainting for no good reason. The third time the doctor suggested I should give it a rest. When I reapplied they'd changed the rules and I couldn't because I grew up in a malaria infected country. But I do exhort everyone to donate blood - free tea and a biscuit! So it is well worth it.
Post a Comment