Pretoria residents become others’ lifeline by donating blood
In a creative initiative, DA Tshwane Caucus leader Cilliers Brink spent his birthday ‘behind bars’ to entice others to donate blood to help free him.
The South African National Blood Service (SANBS) is urging citizens to give blood and help secure millions of tomorrows for patients in need.
World Blood Donor Day was observed on June 14.
The annual day highlights the life-saving impact of blood donation on accident victims and cancer patients, as well as mothers and children facing critical health challenges.
This year, SANBS has launched its bold new campaign, ‘Be The Lifeline – Give Blood. Give A Tomorrow,’ encouraging South Africans to become regular donors and play an active role in saving lives.
“Blood cannot be manufactured; it can only come from people willing to give a part of themselves to save another life,” said SANBS reputation and communication manager Sifiso Khoza.
He said that behind every successful transfusion is a donor who chose to help someone they may never meet.
Every unit of blood contributes to someone’s tomorrow, whether it’s a young adult experiencing independence for the first time, a child entering school or a patient undergoing urgent treatment.
CEO Ravi Reddy emphasised the ripple effect of each donation.
“Every donor who walks through our doors becomes part of someone else’s tomorrow; their generosity is helping to protect countless lives every day,” he said.
In a creative local initiative to encourage community members to donate blood, DA Tshwane Caucus leader, Cilliers Brink, spent his birthday on June 12 locked up at Loftus Park during a collaborative event between SANBS and Pretoria FM.
He chose to mark the occasion in an unconventional but impactful way by spending time behind symbolic ‘bars’ to raise awareness about the urgent need for blood donations.
The initiative aimed to encourage members of the public to donate blood and help save lives, highlighting the critical role that regular donors play in ensuring hospitals have sufficient supplies for patients in need.
“This is a much better way to spend my day; I’d really like to encourage community members to make an impact in society by donating blood even after this event,” he said.
Passersby were encouraged to donate blood to help ‘free’ him, a symbolic gesture that highlighted how each donation directly saves lives.
A regular donor, Elsjer Truder, said one donation saves about three lives, and it does not matter what blood type you are; even a small amount can save a baby’s life.
“I am very sad that I couldn’t donate for a good cause today because I donated in the past seven days,” she said.
A first-time donor, Rosisang Kekana, said that his advice to people who are still contemplating whether they should donate blood or not is that they shouldn’t wait until their families need blood transfusions to donate.
“There’s one thing that someone said to me earlier today: That you never know who might need blood in your family or a loved one, so you never want to wait for that moment to come and start donating blood,” he added.
SANBS calls on all eligible South Africans to join the life-saving legacy of blood donation.
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