ALL WE WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS YOU (AND YOUR BLOOD)

It is almost time for all of us to start writing our Christmas wish list and send it of to the North Pole.

Often it is the thought behind a special gift that means the most. Unfortunately for some, the gift that they need can not be manufactured by Santa Claus. They require blood.

So, if you are wondering what you can give this Christmas, why not give the gift of life. It won’t take up much of your time and won’t cost you a cent. By donating blood this Festive Season you can ensure that patients in need of a transfusion can truly experience the season of giving. During the holiday season the need for blood increases. SANBS has branches across South Africa so even while on holiday you can make someone’s Christmas wish come true.

The simple gift of a blood donation is a gift of life for people in need. Although all blood types are precious gifts, group O blood type is the most needed over the Festive Season. As group O is compatible with all blood types it can be used for accident victims and trauma patients.

So give someone a bloody good Festive Season by giving them the special gift of life.

To be a blood donor you need to be:
Between the ages of 16 and 65
Weigh more than 50 kgs
Be in good health
Lead a sexually safe lifestyle.

Contact SANBS Polokwane and Limpopo

For the remainder of October, Tiger Wheel & Tyre and SANBS will be driving home their message to the South African Public: all donors that donate blood at their nearest SANBS Blood Donor Centre will receive a free Tiger Wheel & Tyre wheel alignment voucher, to be used at any Tiger Wheel & Tyre nationwide, valid during the month of October.

Donors also have the opportunity to enter a lucky draw by SMSing their blood unit number to 32712, to stand a chance to win one of three Tiger Wheel & Tyre cash-loaded gift cards valued at R5 000,R3 000 and R2 000. SMS charged at R1.00. Terms & Conditions apply.

As part of Heart and Stroke Awareness Month, Limpopo Medi-Clinic in Polokwane will provide free cholesterol and blood pressure tests in Savannah Mall on 29 and 30 September.

ER24 and SANBS will participate. SANBS will collect blood and will do blood grouping for the public.

The first 100 people who present themselves will receive a free cholesterol test but an unlimited number of people could have their blood pressure tested and can donate blood.

Stroke
Charlene Murray of the Stroke Survivors Foundation, herself a stroke survivor, will also be present.

» Approximately 240 South Africans suffer from strokes each day

» Of these, 25% are fatal and only half will make a full recovery

» It is perceived that only elderly suffer strokes

» In fact, 25% of stroke sufferers are of an economically active age*

» And 2.5% are below the age of 30*

» There is no formal stroke support structure in South Africa

» Invariably, the burden falls on family members

» The first two months after the stroke are critical in recovery

» And the next two years are crucial

» Medical care and rehabilitation is a costly affair, and not many are fortunate enough to be in the position to kick-start their care… let alone sustain their rehabilitation.

Heart attacks
It can happen in a heartbeat... literally. Heart disease is one of the biggest killers in South Africa and it does not discriminate.

Heart disease was once almost exclusively the affliction of white men with middle-aged spread, but thanks to a largely sedentary lifestyle, bad diet and the stress of modern living, it can strike anybody at any age.

The primary cause of heart disease is arteresclerosis, where a fatty deposit builds up on the inside of the arteries. This results in the vessels narrowing, thus restricting the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the heart and when they become too narrow or a clot forms a heart attack occurs, which actually damages a section of the heart.

Who is at risk?
Anyone with:
A family or personal history of heart disease
High cholesterol (>3mmol/L)
High blood glucose levels (>100mg/dL)
High blood pressure (>130mmHg)
High levels of triglycerides (>1.7mmol/L)
Abdominal obesity (>102cm for men and >88cm for women)
Insulin resistance
Physical inactivity
Smoking

What are the signs of a heart attack?
Heavy pressure, tightness, crushing pain or unusual discomfort in the centre of the chest.
A discomfort that feels similar to indigestion that lasts for 15 minutes or longer, fades and then returns at a later stage.
Pain in the shoulders, arms, neck or even the jaw.
Sweating, nausea, faintness or shortness of breath.
There may be a rapid, weak pulse.

The good news is that the heart starts to heal almost immediately after the attack and although there will be scar tissue on the damaged area you can minimise the chances of it happening again by making some important lifestyle changes such as:

Following a healthy eating plan, which is low in saturated fats and high in grains, fruit and vegetables and lean protein. Know your numbers. Have regular tests to check your waist circumference, blood pressure, blood glucose, cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Stop smoking.

Remember your heart is a muscle and it needs exercise to stay healthy. So moderate physical activity at least three to four times a week is advised.

www.strokesurvivors.org.za

Blood Donation Clinic – Absa Hans van Rensburg on 8 September 2010

To celebrate Spring every donor who presents at the Absa Hans van Rensburg blood donation clinic on the 8th of September 2010 from 7:30 to 15:00 will receive a nice little plant!

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The South African National Blood Service (SANBS) is one of the community organisations MyPolokwane supports in our quest for a community that is worth living in.

Community organisations are the fibre of a community. They allow those in the community who is able, to support those who are for some reason unable to look after themselves, whether temporarily or permanent.

Some of our community organisations are true welfare organisations which serve as a back-stop for people in dire straits while others work to enrich society and increase increase its ability to look after itself.

All community organisations have noble aims and we at MyPolokwane have a special affinity for those organisations and the indivduals who make it effective contributors to society.

SANBS is in the precarious position that it does not ask money. It is in the extremely difficult position that it asks people for something as intimate as their own blood. In South Africa, SANBS is not allowed to pay for the blood. The organisation is therefore wholly dependent on the goodwill of people, something that does not always seem logic or workable. This makes SANBS frightfully dependent on people.

If one takes into account the history of South Africa and the circumstances that reign, factors outside their control affect SANBS deeply - factors such as racial prejudice, poloitics and the high occurrence of HIV-Aids.

Misinformed people is also a SANBS burden. People accept for instance that most blood in Limpopo go to accident victims while, in fact, most blood is used for newborn babies and their mothers.

The observable liquid is to most people the beginning and end of blood donation, while the platelets are of much more importance and have a longer life than the red liquid we see.

A factor which makes the SANBS task even more difficult is that people do not see the need to donate blood - that is until such time as one of their loved ones need blood. It is then that the message gets driven home in a disturbing way.

We trust that this graphic video will show people that blood donation is not such a difficult thing to do and that it will motivate people who are not yet donors, to become just that.

On a personal note I must confess that donating blood has, for me, the added satisfaction that I go home and ponder the thought that my small contribution may, tonight, save a mother or her baby - or both.

You can find the contact info for SANBS here

Bleed with AIDA for your soup and sherry.

Are you free of flu? – we need you!

AIDA Polokwane will be hosting a special WINTER bleed on Wednesday 14 July 2010 at the South African National Blood Service (SANBS) Donor Centre in Polokwane, 153 Potgieter Avenue.

Healthy blood donors are the SANBS most important means to maintaining a sufficient, safe blood supply during winter when bloodstocks normally decrease drastically. Decreased bloodstocks are due to many regular donors
suffering from colds and flu, which prohibits them from donating blood. A lot of the blood donors that are healthy are also taking a break during the school holiday.

Blood transfusions are not only given in emergency situations, but also for people with cancer, those undergoing operations and for newborn babies.

People over 16 years of age, who weigh more than 50 kg, are in good health and most importantly, lead a sexually safe lifestyle, can donate blood.

At the same time we request blood donors to take care of their health by following these simple guidelines:
- Wash your hands regularly - most cold and flu viruses are spread by direct contact.
- Keep your hands away from your eyes, nose and mouth - cold and flu viruses cling to your bare hands and enter your body through the eyes, nose and mouth.
- Get enough sleep - staying well rested keeps your immune system strong so that it can fight off germs.
- Drink plenty of fluids - water flushes your system, washing out the germs and toxins as it rehydrates you.
- Exercise moderately - exercise helps to increase the body’s natural virus-killing cells.
- Limit your alcohol intake - alcohol can be dehydrating which, in turn, may decrease your resistance to bacteria.
- Eat yoghurt - some studies have shown that eating a daily cup of low-fat yoghurt can reduce your susceptibility to colds by 25 percent.
- Don’t smoke - statistics show that smokers get more frequent and severe colds than non-smokers.
- Eat fresh fruit and vegetables daily - the natural chemicals in fresh fruit and vegetables provide the vitamins you need to strengthen your immune system.
- Stay home if you are sick - if you go to work when you are sick, you deprive yourself of the rest you need to overcome your illness and you spread your germs to other employees.
- Get fresh air - during cold weather more people stay indoors, which means more germs are circulating in crowded, dry rooms.
- Avoid close contact with people who have a cold
- Relax - when you’re stressed, your body secretes adrenaline, which can compromise your immune system.

More info from Dottie Pinn at SANBS Polokwane 015 297 3636