‘Champion’ made over 150 blood donations
He was crowned the "Champion of Champions" by the Singapore Red Cross for making over 150 blood donations.
Mr Lakhani Ramchand was one of 1,690 blood donors and community partners who were honoured last Saturday at the 16th World Blood Donor Day and Champion Blood Donor Recognition Ceremony.
The event saw Dr Amy Khor, Senior Minister of State for the Environment and Water Resources, presenting awards to donors who had made their 50th to 200th blood donations last year.
Mr Ramchand, who moved to Singapore from Mumbai when he was 21 years old, has been donating blood ever since, motivated by his uncle who is also a regular blood donor.
The 44-year-old transitioned from making whole blood donations to making apheresis donations when he was 30.
Apheresis donations mean only specific blood components such as platelets or plasma are taken.
They can be done every month, while whole blood donors can only donate up to four times a year.
However, making an apheresis donation is a much longer process compared to donating whole blood.
Mr Ramchand told The New Paper: "The thing about apheresis donations is that it takes longer, up to an hour, because the platelets have to be taken out of your blood and then the blood is returned to your body."
The actual withdrawal of whole blood only takes up to eight or 10 minutes in comparison.
Despite the recent saga where over 800,000 blood donors' data was leaked, Mr Ramchand said he was never once bothered by it.
"I will still donate blood. We have to remember that giving blood is like giving life."
SILVER AWARD
Mr Sean Chan, 25, who received a Silver award for making 50 donations, had similar thoughts.
"I can see why people would be worried about the data leak issue, but it won't stop me from donating," he said.
A content strategist at the local social media website SGAG, Mr Chan has been donating blood since he was 16.
"I tagged along with my dad to donate blood when I was 16 or 17, but I had to get his consent every time I donated, until I turned 18.
"My dad never showed any fear when he was donating blood, so I wasn't scared. Being scared of the injection or the needles is a 'mind over matter' thing.
"I know many of my friends are scared of the needles, so I'll try to accompany them when they donate blood."
Mr Chan makes apheresis donations as well, and has been doing so since he was 19.
"The one hour that it takes to donate is a small thing compared to what the people who need the blood go through," he said.
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