Twice a year for the last 12 years on January 26 and August 15 — the Shri Shiridi Sai Temple on Magadi Road, Basaveshwaranagar, Bangalore, becomes a beacon of hope for the Lions Club of Bangalore Sanjay Nagar, and the many patients who need blood. The blood donation drives there attract many donors, who are willing to give to let others live on .
This year also on January 26, 2022, despite the COVID situation, the drive drew a very good response with 70 persons donating blood there. A visibly moved Lion Alphonse Kurian, Chairman, Blood Donation Committee of the Lions Club of Bangalore Sanjay Nagar, who has been part of the blood donation drives in Bangalore for now over 25 years says, “It was so heart-warming to see fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, fathers and daughters, medical students and even two visually impaired, donating blood. As usual the camp was an encouragement as young kids accompanied their parents and watched them donate blood. Hopefully, they will emulate their parents as done by earlier kids who are now donating blood at the camp at the Shri Shiridi Sai Temple and elsewhere.”
From a blood donor to a campaigner
For Alphonse, each blood donation camp is a fulfilling experience. Having donated 28 times, the first time that he donated is fresh in his mind, and he can empathize with people who are scared to donate. “I was in Indore doing my Master’s in Social Work. I walked in boldly, and was thrilled that I had done my bit. But my delight was short-lived as after refreshments, I fainted. But that did not stop me from donating and encouraging others too.”
Another incident that made Alphonse realise the importance of blood donation was the Venus Circus fire in Bangalore on February 7, 1981. More than 92 people died, many of whom were children. “Then there was no social media. The announcements for blood donors on All India Radio was effective. There were long queues of people waiting to donate blood. I was one among them.”
Alphonse, who retired from ITI Limited, Bangalore as DGM-HR, donated blood till end 2003, when because of cardiac issues, he had to give up. But his passion to find and encourage blood donors continues. After his retirement, he registered a trust, Shraddha Foundation, to help the needy with focus on education and health. He is also a committee member of Medico Pastoral Association for past two years.
“You don’t realise the importance of blood donation until a tragedy strikes or somebody in your family needs blood. We need blood donors. If one does not donate blood , how can the blood banks have blood stock? There was a time pre-pandemic when we used to collect 9500 units of blood annually. Now the camps have reduced a lot because donors are afraid.”
Alphonse recalls that before the advent of social media, communication was only through landlines. “We had a small database of people, whom we could contact. Sometimes we would get refusals – their parents, spouses did not want them to donate, or they were in meetings, or they had just donated blood.” With the onset of digital media, we also jumped on the bandwagon and had www.lionsbloodline.com which is there even now for registration of donors . Now we have formed small groups on WhatsApp.”
Touching experiences
Despite challenges, Alphonse is happy that every day there are around four to five donors, who respond to WhatsApp notifications on the requirements received. Though this does not meet 15 to 20 requirements received BUT it is a great help to those who need blood. facebook.com/lionsbloodlinebangalore has many stories of the blood donor heroes.
Alphonse keeps you engaged with his heart-warming anecdotes of donors. He related an incident where a person who donated, convinced the patient’s son to become a donor. Miracles do happen as in the case of a six-year-old girl who needed blood. A donor happened to be at the hospital for a check-up for his parents and called Alphonse to say that he can donate at the same hospital if there is any requirement. There is also
a centurion Single Donor Platelet (SDP) donors who just keeps donating SDP at regular intervals spending at least 2 ½ hours for each donation on each occasion. There are many touching feedback messages. One such message from an attendant of a patient: “Deivam manusha roopena (he came, he gave and went off)…Hats off to him, my heartfelt thanks to you.”
I can hear the ring of gratefulness to God and the donors in Alphonse’s voice: “How nice to have such WONDERFUL DONORS in our midst. May the tribe increase.”