BONUS - RUSTENBURG - Hilary Clinton famously said: "Do all the good you can, for all the people you can, in all the ways you can, for as long as you can." Not all of us can be heroes in the traditional sense of the word, but we can all make a difference in the lives of others. The South African National Blood Service (SANBS) is calling on the public to make a difference by becoming voluntary blood donors. It is shocking that less than 1% of South Africans donate blood, when every one person that donates, can save up to three lives.
This is possible since blood is separated into components after donation - platelets, plasma and red blood cells.
Johan Wannenburg (58) recently celebrated his 50th blood donation at the Lifestyle Donor Centre in Rustenburg and Rustenburg Herald's Bonus was there to capture the moment. Wannenburg describes his decision to start donating blood as a call of his "conscience" and says he always feels better afterwards. "I suffer from chronic headaches and high blood pressure and my headaches subside after I've donated. My wife and sons are also regular donors."
For those who are afraid of needles or even just find the idea of donating a bit daunting, he says: "Just do it once. It really is not that bad!" Considering that the entire process generally takes about 30 minutes, you can even pop round to the donor centre in your lunch hour! Also, less than 2% of donors experience mild side effects such as a bit of bruising or dizziness.
Good news for all blood donors who donate in the month of August is that everyone will receive a complimentary cup of coffee or hot chocolate from Wimpy. Upon successful donation, you will receive a SMS, which must be shown at any Wimpy, to redeem your free drink! There is no time like the present to do good!
Blood donation requirements:
* Age: 16 to 75
* Weight: 50kg or above
* Good general health or no recent illness
* Leading a safe lifestyle
* A commitment to donate regularly
* Eat a meal or snack before donating.
Lifestyle Donor Centre (1st Floor, Lifestyle Square) business hours:
Monday - 10:00 to 17:00
Tuesday - 09:00 - 18:00
Wednesday-Friday - 09:00 to 17:00
Saturday - 09:00 to 15:00
Sunday - Closed
