World Blood Donor Day is commemorated annually on 14 June.

Imagine the power you hold in your veins – a single unit of your blood can be the difference between life and death. As you go about your daily routine, countless individuals hover on the precipice of survival, their fate hanging in the balance. You possess the extraordinary ability to become an unsung hero in the narrative of someone's life. Much like anonymous organ donors, blood donors often go unrecognised, yet their impact is profound and far-reaching.

By donating just one unit of blood, you become a beacon of hope, bridging the gap between illness and wellness. Your selfless act provides not only red blood cells to those suffering from blood loss, but also platelets for individuals with production or functional issues and plasma for those who desperately need coagulation factors to stop the bleeding.

But the miracle of your donation doesn't stop there – your blood donation yields specialised products like immunoglobulins, crucial for patients with compromised immune systems. These immunoglobulin products also serve as a shield in patients facing an overactive immune response, such as a mother producing antibodies against her unborn child.

The South African National Blood Service (SANBS) also offers transfusion-related services such as apheresis, which allows you to donate specific cell types while returning others to your bloodstream. This means you can contribute life-saving platelets even if you're prone to iron deficiency when donating red cells. This targeted donation method opens doors for patients with conditions such as sickle cell anaemia, offering them a chance at a better quality of life.

Through apheresis, sickled red cells can be removed from a patient’s circulation without depleting essential proteins or fluids. Healthy red cells from generous donors like you can then be transfused, improving their condition and overall well-being. This process also spares these patients from the complications of iron or fluid overload associated with multiple transfusions.

Consider now also the transformative potential of donating bone marrow stem cells in this manner – a process akin to donating blood, yet with the power to cure someone’s cancer or bone marrow disease. Gone are the days of invasive bone marrow extractions; today, most stem cell collections are performed through a peripheral vein in your arm. A specialised infusion releases bone marrow stem cells into your peripheral circulation, allowing for a comfortable collection process as you sit in a chair, much like a standard blood donation.

The field of blood and stem cell donation has witnessed remarkable advancements, revolutionising patient care and donor experience alike. The implementation of Nucleic Acid Testing (NAT) in 2005 marked a significant milestone in blood safety. This cutting-edge technology can detect Hepatitis B, C, and HIV RNA earlier in the blood.

With regard to HIV infection, it can detect the virus approximately nine to 10 days after infection. This contrasts with previous HIV antibody tests, which typically detect the infection around 21 days post-infection. This reduction in the window period for HIV detection has been a game-changer, enhancing patient safety exponentially. The risk of HIV infection has decreased dramatically: before NAT implementation, the risk was 1 in 100 000; after NAT, it became 1 in 1 000 000. Further innovations, such as blood and platelet filtration, have significantly mitigated transfusion-related risks. These advancements, along with many others, underscore the continuous evolution of blood donation practices, all aimed at maximising the impact of your generous gift.

Despite healthcare constraints and disparities, and the prevalence of HIV, these services are expanding. An audit conducted from 2013 to 2020, published by Poole et al., underscores the growing impact of South African apheresis services – thanks to the SANBS’s active participation through mobile and fixed-site services and, most importantly, thanks to donors like you who are willing to give selflessly to save lives.

Your contribution is not just a donation; it is a lifeline, a testament to the power of human kindness and the profound difference one person can make. So, as you contemplate your ability to make a difference in this world, remember the extraordinary power that lies within you. Your blood donation is more than a medical procedure. It's a profound act of humanity. Will you answer the call? Will you step forward and become the hero someone is desperately waiting for?

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the University of Pretoria.