I am able to lead a normal life thanks to blood donation!

Many blood donors wonder how the blood they donate is used. Donated blood is used in the treatment of accident victims and cancer patients, but also for the treatment of other medical conditions. A.H., for instance, needs to “top up” with blood in hospital every month due to an inherited disorder.

“I was born in India 23 years ago with thalassaemia major, an inherited blood disorder, and my initial life expectancy was only five years, because I had not received the correct treatment in my first years of life. When I was three years old, I had the enormous good fortune of being adopted by a loving couple from Switzerland. Thanks to advances in medicine here, I was able to benefit from excellent treatment.

‹Thalassaemia major› is a complex inherited disease, the details of which I don’t even fully understand myself. I’ve been asked whether this blood disorder is contagious. It’s not, of course; it is something you are born with, not something you can acquire later in life. Due to a gene defect, my body is unable to produce enough healthy red blood cells, causing severe anaemia. The only way to treat my condition is with regular blood transfusions. But this leads to an overabundance of iron in my body. The surplus iron is deposited in my organs where it can cause long-term complications. So, I also need to take daily medications to get the surplus iron out of my body. Without this treatment, the iron overload would cause severe damage, primarily to my heart and liver.

I have to go to hospital once a month for the treatment, where I am given blood transfusions and a supplemental medication. I usually receive two units of type B positive blood (my blood type), but sometimes I’m given blood of the universal blood type, O negative. Normally, I don’t feel any different after the transfusion; very occasionally, I feel somewhat tired for a while afterwards. The transfusion takes about four hours. I sleep a bit, read a book or watch a film during that time.

I’ve grown accustomed to this ritual by now, and barring some medical miracle, this is how it’s going to be for the rest of my life.

When I was a child and going through puberty, having to be in hospital instead of out doing something with my friends could be really tough sometimes. Even now, it can be a struggle at times. But a couple of years ago, I began to really think about my situation, and I started to understand it better. In India, many people with this disorder don’t have access to this kind of treatment – my parents literally saved my life by adopting me. Moreover, I realised that other people voluntarily donated the blood that I have been receiving. It is thanks to them that I can lead a normal life. For that, I am extremely grateful!

I don’t have to deal with much in the way of limitations in everyday life, if at all. And I work, just like everyone else. In winter, I go snowboarding a lot. I love travelling to foreign countries and cooking and enjoying food. There are certain iron-rich foods that I should not eat, of course, like chia seeds, game meats, or Ovaltine products. And obviously, being slightly anaemic, I could never become a top athlete, but I can live with that, very well in fact ;-).

In any event, I would like to say thank you to everyone who donates blood. Without you, I would not be able to survive.”