LILONGWE, MALAWI—Since 20th August, 1987, the New Yorker, Arjun Prasad Mainali, has donated blood 155 times and as he closes in to meet his target of reaching a 160 record by the end of this year, the global blood donor will make a long trip from New York in the United States of America to Malawi’s capital Lilongwe solely to do the needful at Kamuzu Central Hospital by 10 am on 20th August, 2016.Mainali, a volunteer, who has donated blood to 9 different countries around the world and to 14 states in the United States of America, also wants to take this opportunity—when in Malawi that is—to motivate people to donate blood in order to save lives.
On why he feels people must be more willing to donate blood, Mainali says that blood is precious as it is not manufactured by machines but within the human body hence it feels good to give it to someone who is desperately in need of it.
“Our life is a gift from God, so donating blood to those who need help is a gift by us. Blood is produced by our body and a loss of 15% of blood in one time does not affect our body as the body adjusts immediately. So donating 500ml blood every 3 months does not involve any cost. That could help saving someone’s precious life which brings smile and joy in their face,” said Mainali in an interview.
For the fear of any doubt, the revered blood donor sets the record straight to those healthy people who fear to donate blood saying that “donating blood does not risk your health as new blood is manufactured by the body.”
The selfless Mainali continues to make a forceful case to persuade those healthy people to donate blood to whosoever is in need of it regardless of religion, race or place of origin arguing that we are all children of God hence love must lead in whatever we do.
He says:
“Love and caring are inner feelings of human beings, those human beings who could understand other humans as a global family should take care of those humans who need desperate help to survive in lack of blood,” adding that in matters of blood donation, “no humans are separated by religion, race and regional.”
Pressed as to what motivated him to start donating blood since 1987, Mainali had this to say:
“When I was a young, I read a story of a blood donor (Joe Thomas from Michigan) saving others’ lives, at that time I realized that donating blood free of cost could save someone’s life,” adding also that at some time, he “saw a person who came to a blood bank with a doctor’s prescription to get blood to save her wife’s life” hence it came crystal clear to him that donating blood indeed save lives and thought of being part and parcel of those who donate blood to save such vulnerable lives.
Further asked as to what made him to make the pending trip to Malawi, Mainali said that in his search, he found that “2 thirds of patients in Malawi do not get blood supply easily and they suffer.”
“That brought tears on my eyes. As I am a global blood donor encouraging thousands of people around the world to donate blood successfully. I feel the same here. We help each other to survive and for our communities to survive and to survive as a whole nation of healthy people,” he said
He calls upon all healthy Malawians to donate blood en masse in their respective hospitals arguing that ”if we do not help each other, nobody is going to help us” adding that he “would like to see Malawi which is not deficient of blood in her bloods banks in the hospitals.”
It appears that Mainali is very committed to this noble cause of donating blood. For example in 2014 alone, he had donated blood 19 times; 6 times in different countries including United States, Canada, England, Bermuda, Macao and Ireland, and platelets 13 times in New York.
“A lot of people would travel to different countries to see new places, but I travel to different countries just to donate blood. I would go in the morning and come back at night with my own resources and money. I realized that I am able to donate blood many times therefore; I encourage people to donate blood at least once a year and let them know it’s for a good cause,” concludes Mainali.