75-year-old donates 302nd pint four days before his birthday
He is the first Kempton Park resident to make the 300 mark
Birchleigh resident Jacobus Smit not only celebrates his 76th birthday on Thursday but also his 302nd pint of blood donated.
On Monday, Smit donated blood at the South African National Blood Service (SANBS) Central Avenue branch, making it 142.899 litres of blood donated in his lifetime. He has been donating blood for 60 years.
He is the first Kempton Park resident to reach the 300 mark.
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“It started as a joke when I was about 16 years old. Being a young boy when I started donating meant that I could see the pretty nurses on a regular basis. My friends and I would always leave work early on a Friday and first go wash up and then go donate blood,” said Smit, laughing.
It wasn’t until a few years before Smit got married that he realised how important it was to donate blood. “I needed blood myself and I realised how many people there were who needed blood and my contribution could save hundreds of lives. From there on I didn’t see donating blood as a joke to only see the pretty nurses.”
Smit donates blood every third month and invites young and old to also donate blood on a regular basis.
