Will you give blood - latest drive by Rotary

[Marions]

Rotary calls for blood donors

The Rotary Club of St.Hilarion calls anyone who is eligible to be part of their blood donation campaign.
The venue is Lefkosia Burhan Nalbantoglu Hospital , over three days, the 8th, 9th and 10th May.
On the first two days the hours will be from 9a.m. to 4p.m. and on the 10th it will be a half day from 9a.m. to noon.

If you are able, please go along and give a unit of your blood to save lives and to help thalassaemia patients, and if unable to attend personally, please share this important news with friends and family.

Be an

[BLUE BUTTERFLY]

I am O RH NEG, a universal donor who can donate to any blood group but I have heard there is an upper age limit. Can anyone confirm please?

[Marions]

Never used to be. But I think it has change.d Hopefully someone who knows will post. But I will get a message through to Rotary and ask. Hopefully the reply will come in time.

[Marions]

Sorry to be unhelpful and negative,e but I asked Rotary to be told they did not know and to contact the hospital. Sorry but I do not have any contact details for the hospital either. So if you were keen, then I suggest you turn up and offer yourself, for , as Tony Hancock would have claimed, to give a 'whole arm of blood'.

However, I am sure they would understand if you felt it an unnecessary journey not knowing whether you are eligible. So,l again I ask - does anyone else know.

[nurseawful]

I believe for the state hospital the upper limit is 65years for whole blood. For Near East Hospital it is 60 years.

Chris

[Marions]

Thanks so much for that Chris. I have just bene informed by another source that State Hospital is 65, so I guess that is the answer. Hope that helps the originator of the thread and that they are eligible and will go and give blood.

This appeal was apparently startedby the Yeni Duzen newspaper - I guess they are asking organizations to get their members along, and also I have heard that it is predominantly because of the great need for blood by thalassemia patients.

Thanks again Chris.

Daft question, but why the difference between the two hospitals? Seems odd to me.

[tomsteel]

Even dafter, why an age limit - be it upper or lower? Blood is blood is blood. The platelets can be useful, even if the red or white cells are not. Hey what do I know?

[Marions]

Couldn't agree more. And what annoys me is that the marrow donors have to be even younger. Extremely young. I just wish medicine would wake up to the indivi8dual's fitness and not put a blanket condemnation on anyone over 30 (or so it seems sometimes).

But they are not going ot listen to sensible folk such as we! But just think of the lives that oculd be saved and helped if they jduged eachperson on their merits!

Ho hum.

[Owl Lady]

When I was within the age limit, I went 3 times and each time was refused because my BP was too high. In the UK my BP was never taken before donating, a finger prick only!!! I told my GP here at the time, and he said "rubbish, if it is too low, that is a problem, but not too high"

[elizabeth]

Such a pity about the upper age limit, a good many people living here are retirees, at or just above 65, who would be only too happy to donate blood. I am B rhesus negative and would gladly give a pint now and then.

[MrA]

The age limit is totally normal even in the UK, some places dont have an upper age limit if you have donated regularly,

If you are aged between 65 and 70 years (up to, but not including your 70th birthday) and you have donated in the last 10 years, you can give blood, Some countries,
In selected cases, you can give blood if you are 70 years or over (you must have donated in the last two years and have a Medical Certificate from your GP).

All depends on the Health service.

[Jonnie]

With bone marrow donations age is the only factor related to disease free survival, donors under the age of 30 are significantly more likely to have a positive outcome than donations from those over 45 so the limited finance is targeted to the younger donors. Some older people feel they should be able to pay and donate but the organisations involved prefer that money is channelled into processing younger donors.

Blood can be confusing here, some say males can give 4 times per year, others say 3, some age cap others do not do this so readily.