"This year the flu epidemic is particularly severe. Of course, the blood donor service is also feeling the effects – many people who otherwise donate regularly are prevented from doing so due to the infection," explains schneider, says dominik schneider, deputy head of the BRK-bereitschaft sonnefeld (german red cross). For this reason, the blood donation date at the domane sonnefeld last thursday was also advertised particularly intensively via facebook. "Together with the blood donor service of the bavarian red cross, we organize four events a year that take place in the sonnefeld domain, and around 20 helpers are involved each time, reports the schneider.
Almost anyone can donate
almost anyone who is at least 18 and no more than 68 years old can donate blood. "Of course there are some exclusion criteria. Those who have recently been abroad or regularly take certain medications, for example, are not accepted as donors", schneider explains and adds: "before the donation, a questionnaire must be filled out. This is followed by a consultation with a doctor from the blood donor service, usually there are even two or three doctors on site." before you can start, your blood pressure and iron level are checked. The donation itself takes about 15 minutes.
"The donated blood is brought to munich by the blood donor service. There it is examined, processed and then distributed to the individual clinics so that chronically ill or accident victims can then receive a donation", explains schneider. But not only the recipients, but also the donors benefit from a blood donation. Schneider: "every donor can be sure that he or she has helped a sick person. Together with the marienverein, we organize meals and drinks for all donors, and everyone receives a small gift".
Willingness to donate decreases
according to the website of the blood donor service, 2000 blood donations are needed every day in bavaria alone. "With around 10,000 donations per year, the coburg district is among the top ten districts in bavaria that donate the most blood. This is calculated as a percentage of the population eligible to donate", reports marcel thein. Nevertheless, the overall number of blood donations is declining. "The reasons for this are a declining willingness to donate, demographic change and the fact that fewer and fewer first-time donors are coming forward," explains the county donor coordinator, explains the district director.
This development is also evident in sonnefeld. "We are reaching our goals, but of course there is still room for improvement. Last year, we organized a rough blood donation event as part of a bet by our mayor, and almost 170 people donated blood that day," reports marcel thein, schneider recalls. In the five years that the 21-year-old has been helping out at the events, that was the highest number ever. A value that comes even close to this could not be achieved at the current date – a total of only 86 people came to the domane to donate blood, about 125 were expected.
The prick does not hurt at all
one of the donors is iren rudi, who is here for the fourth time today. "Blood is always needed, and far too little is donated to maintain care for the chronically ill or accident victims. The little prick doesn't hurt at all", the student says. She herself is a member of the BRK-bereitschaft sonnefeld and usually helps with the assembly and disassembly as well as the sorting of the blood donations. Simone renner also decided to donate half a liter of her blood. "It is important to me that I can help. Maybe one needs blood oneself and is then grateful for a donation", says the sonnefeld woman. Simone renner has already donated blood twelve times, her first donation was five years ago.