you can save life!

You can save a life!

By Muhammad Shahid Imran

Imagine if you have to beg people to donate blood after every two weeks! Only a mother would ever do that for her children.

Aysha married her cousin and after the birth of their first child they come to know that they are thallassemia minors. They give birth to a thallassemia major child. Her cousin said that he could not spend his life with parasite that needs blood after every two week so either she killed the baby or he will going to divorce her. She loved her husband so much and has proven this whole year since their marriage.

It was a tough exam for her as a mother and as wife; she has to decide the single route to go. There is no mother on earth who could kill her baby with her own hands so was the Aysha. She decided to live without her husband and home. Meanwhile her husband divorced her and blamed her that it was her fault to give birth to such ill child.

Aysha believed that there high in the skies live a King who ruled over the named, unnamed worlds. So she started her new life with a rented room and house cleaning job. She is not enough educated to get a good salary job so she started working at different homes. He has only one thing in her mind whole week, it was not money, it was the search for donor for her baby whose breath depends on charity blood.

Every time when she found some donor, she feels complete and happy. It brightens her eyes as she has done impossible. She believed there high in the skies is a king who ruled the named, unnamed worlds. Once at Fatimid foundation while blood transfusion, she comes to know that there was an organization which is working for Thallassemia disease named “jihad for zero thallassemia” (JZT) and which give blood donations to thallassemic patients.

When contacted she come to know about “ease one each one” social entrepreneur programme of Jihad for zero Thallassemia(JZT), in which some selfless volunteers from organization adopted thalassemic kids and work for the whole life to gather blood donations for that kid.

Hassan Ali son of Aysha was given to me and i was very afraid that time. I was thinking how I can manage to provide blood after every two week. I look in the lady’s eyes, even may be she was thinking the same that how this skinny young boy mange to get blood for my kid after every two week, but she believed there is a king. This belief brings smile on her face when she looked at me. I could clearly see the ray of hope in her eyes.

She told me her story and at the same time about the blood transfusion date which is not so far. I show her smile and ensure her to manage blood on every transfusion for her kid. After getting back to home i forget about Aysha, her son and the story of the King in the high skies.

On the blood transfusion date she called me again and again and i was sleeping at that time. On awakening i called her, she said “Beta when are you coming to Fatimid with blood donor as my son is in a critical situation”. I have suddenly realized what i have done by forgetting my promise with that lady. It was not only the matter of trust or anything it was matter of life on stake. I had promised a mother, she trust me only because she believes a king ruled in the high skies. I asked her to come to Fatimid for transfusion and assured her that i am coming too but her reply more paled me. She said “beta i am at Fatimid for last four hours waiting for you to come but may be you were sleeping”. 

Her baby needs A +ve blood and it was the same as mine. So even afraid, i decided to donate blood to Hassan, her kid. I was just to leave for Fatimid when she again called on my cell fone and said “beta jaldi aa skty ho” (could you please come faster). After this sentence she starts weeping and i realized the condition of the kid is really critical out there.

I reached there and donated blood first time in my life. She has some juices in her bag that she generously offered me. She was now not the same lady who was weeping an hour ago, it looks she has got some blood too. Being secret, she turned to the corner of the room and offered me some money saying “I know your generosity has no price and i am already so poor but petrol cost is too high please accept this little money for your bike oil, i am like your mother and children could take money from parents”, tears in eyes for that brave mother i ensured her that i have enough money for that but she tried to give that money until i took permission to leave for home.

On the way back, I felt completely healthy. The quantity of blood that had left my body was not enough to make me shiver and fall. You don’t die when you donate blood, rather your body produces the same quantity of blood within a few days, that too, fresh blood. Blood donation isn’t something one should ever be afraid of.

After that i contacted to my friends, relatives and make a list of those with similar blood to that kid. It gets so easy to ask a person to donate blood after every four, five months. After the first transfusion i there was not a time when i get worried about the transfusion date. Even now my friends and cousins know very well about their turn, when they get their chance to save a life by donating their blood.

There are many Aysha and Hassan waiting for you to come and contribute in saving their lives. Donating blood gives the wonderful feeling of saving life and we feel ourselves heroic. Blood donating is a humanitarian cause to bring something positive in this world.

Approximately 6,000 children are born with thalassemia each year in Pakistan. If you look healthier it does not mean that you are not a thallassemia minor so it is advised to took your proper test before your marriage. A thallassemia minor has nothing to worry about but when the same thallassemia minor married to another of his kind they give birth to a thallassemia major kid who need blood after every seven days to survive, if you won’t give blood to that kid it may be possible he will not survive.

Jihad for Zero Thallassemia (JZT) is a volunteer student organization started from some university friends who started the new trend of social work. Ghulam Dastgir, founding president of the organization started this organization with the help and encouragement from his friends and teachers. Soon with their efforts, dedication and motivation this organization is now have its chapters in many educational institutions of the country. They dreamed a thallassemia free world and to bring this dream into reality they are working day and night.

Besides the out class organizational structure, Jihad for Zero Thallassemia (JZT) is first of its kind which is not only providing blood to thallassemia patients but they are trying to make every thallassemia kid more happy everyday than before. Every year they organize a lot of stage shows to assure thallassemia patients that they are not alone.the very first purpose of “ease one, each one” programme is also not just only to donate blood rather to love, care and make happy to the adopted child.

The Organization has three main areas to focus, first to give blood to already existing thallassemia patients. Secondly, to aware every single person, to get tested before getting marriage. Third function of the organization is to provide blood in any kind of emergency to every citizen of Pakistan. These volunteers are really the heroes of humanity who save lives with their own blood, time and care.

On this day, all I ask of you is to feel the pain and suffering of the parents of these children. Change is a long and slow process and if you one of those who desperately wants to bring something positive to this world, donate some blood. You could save a life!