On the 18th of July, people worldwide celebrated Mandela Day, an international holiday close to home for all South Africans to celebrate our late president and world icon, Nelson Mandela. 

The Point Mall and Octotel partnered with The Western Cape Blood Services and set up a blood donation site at The Point Mall where shoppers and citizens could take time out of their busy days to give back to the community and donate blood. We were so grateful to have over 80 people joining us to give back, each contributing a unit of blood! That's around 20 000 - 28 000 liters of blood in one day and potentially, 240 lives saved!

Process of donating blood:How to donate blood with The Western Cape Blood Services

The WCBS makes it super simple for South Africans in the Western Cape to donate blood. Follow these steps: Go to the WCBS’s website https://www.wcbs.org.za/blood-donation/ and click DONATE BLOOD

1. Scroll down to the calendar and select a date. All dates with blood drops indicate that there are donation events taking place on that date.
2. Filter blood donation events by selecting a location. (If unsure, scroll further down the page for a Region reference list).
3. If there are no donation events taking place in your location in the current month, the calendar will take you to the next available date.
4. Selecting any of the listed events will take you to an event page where you can share event details with your friends or set reminders for yourself.
5. Before your blood donation:

• Get plenty of sleep the night before you plan to donate.
• Eat a healthy meal before your donation. Avoid fatty foods, such as a hamburger, fries or ice cream.
• Drink plenty of water before the donation.
• Check to see if any medications you are taking or recently took would prevent you from donating. For example, if you are a platelet donor, you must not take aspirin for two days prior to donating. Talk to your health care provider before you stop taking any medications.
• Wear a shirt with sleeves that can be rolled up.

Do something good for society today and sign up to donate blood. Thank you to those who donated blood on Mandela Day at The Point Mall!

Who Can donate blood, What to consider before donating blood:

• You are between the ages of 16 and 75 years old for first-time donors.
• You weigh a minimum of 50 kgs (and platelets a minimum of 55 kgs)
• You are in good health.
• You lead a low-risk lifestyle.
• You consider your blood safe for transfusion.
• You have had a balanced meal within four hours of donating blood.
• You have not donated blood in the last 56 days (and platelets in the previous 14 days.)
• Your pulse is between 60-100 regular beats per minute.
• Your blood pressure is below 180 systolic (first number) and below 100 diastolic (second number) (180/100mmHg) and above 100 systolic (first number), and above 60 diastolic  (second number) (100/60mmHg).
• Your haemoglobin level is 12. g for females and 13. g for males/dL or above.

Benefits of donating blood

Here are six reasons why donating blood is a fantastic gift to humanity and why you should consider giving blood if you can: 

1. There is always a limited supply of blood. 

We can never predict how much blood is needed in any particular month, and The South African National Blood Service believes they are always a single day away from running out. While 75% of the population are potential recipients, less than 1% are donors, and only about 16,000 donors give blood more than four times a year.

2. A single donation can make a world of difference. 

When you donate blood, your blood sample is separated into three components - plasma, platelets and red blood cells. So a single unit of donated blood (+-474ml) can save three different lives. Due to its unique composition, there is no known substitute for blood, and one cannot replicate blood due to its complexity. Therefore, only real blood will work for treating patients. 

3. We could all be in need one day.

Blood is life, and there is no better charity than the gift of saving another's life. By supporting blood drives and spreading awareness of the importance of blood donation, we can ensure our blood banks stay full and available to patients who need it most. 

Over 26% of donated blood is used for cancer patients. Cancer is becoming increasingly common and can affect anyone at any time. Patients most in need of blood donations include women who are haemorrhaging during pregnancy and other gynaecological complications. In addition, premature babies, accident trauma patients, surgical patients and children with severe anaemia can all be saved by donated blood.

4. Giving blood has health benefits!

According to a study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, donating blood on a regular basis can reduce a person's risk of heart disease. Blood donors who donated blood twice a year were 88% less likely to suffer a heart attack due to the lowering of iron levels in the body. 33% were less likely to develop cardiovascular disease.

5. It is a safe process that only takes 20 minutes.

The Western Cape Blood Services and their mobile units use sterile disposable equipment, so there is no risk of infection. The process takes just 20 minutes, after which you can resume your daily activities. You won't even miss the one unit of blood because your body quickly replaces it.

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How Often can you donate blood?

Donors between the age of 16 and 66 years can donate every 56 days. (approximately every 2 months) Donors over the age of 66 years are restricted to donate 4 times a year, preferably with intervals of 3 months between donations. 

To donate blood in Cape Town, visit The Western Cape Blood Service's website and sign up as a donor. Thank you to those who donated blood on Mandela Day at The Point Mall!