learn the importance of donation and how to do it

Businessman Carlos Roberto Piccoli has always been in the habit of donating blood. Over the years, he has contributed several times, aware of the positive impact his donations could have on other people's lives. However, he never imagined that one day he would be the beneficiary of this gesture.

At the age of 71, he began to notice weight loss. “That was in the first months of 2023. Up until then, I was taking it more for vanity. I even thought it was good,” he recalls. However, in May, the symptoms intensified, leaving him weak and alarmed.

“The day I really felt bad, I spent the whole day feeling unwell. I just wanted to sleep, lie down. I even started shaking. At night, I decided to take a shower. When I looked in the mirror, I was shocked by my appearance, I realized I was really sick and had a panic attack. I only had time to shout to (my wife) Heddy and say: 'I feel sick'. And she ran to take me to the emergency room”, he explains.

After receiving serum at the UPA in Matinhos and being transferred to Paranaguá, where he would have to wait to be treated, Piccoli and his wife decided to rush to the Santa Cruz Hospital in Curitiba. It was there that they discovered that the condition was an emergency: he was suffering from digestive hemorrhage, characterized by bleeding in the organs of the digestive system, such as the esophagus, stomach and small intestine.

“He was severely anemic because he had lost a lot of blood, but all internally, so we didn’t know. We got there and he went straight to the ICU, where he stayed for five days and received three bags of blood,” explains Heddy Lamar Piccoli.

In total, Piccoli spent seven days in the hospital, five in the ICU and two in the room. “I woke up and saw the blood bag hanging. At times like this, we go back in time: I’ve always been a blood donor, I’ve always liked donating. At our company, when an employee had a health problem and needed (a blood transfusion), we would get together and donate. So, we are grateful to God for the existence of people who donated blood, because it allowed me to get well and be here now,” he says.

Although many people don’t realize the magnitude of this gesture, donating blood saves lives. “Donating a bag of blood can save up to four lives. So, it’s a little time you take to do this and you can bring life to someone else,” says Vivian Raska, director of the Paraná Hematology and Hemotherapy Center (Hemepar).

Even though it is an important practice, some people end up being afraid of donating. “In some cases, this apprehension about donating is due to some myths. One of them is: 'I'm going to donate blood and I won't have enough blood'. Our body produces cells daily. So, after donating, the body itself will replace them”, explains Raska.

Another myth she highlights is pain. “This is something very personal, but the pain of donating is the same as a laboratory blood collection procedure, which is a small prick. Of course, the needle is a little larger, but it is made entirely of a 'soft' material. Therefore, it is not a needle that will be uncomfortable at the time of donation. So, it is not a procedure that causes great discomfort”, she says.

Currently, Hemepar supplies blood to around 385 hospitals throughout the state of Paraná, ensuring the necessary supply for essential medical procedures, such as major surgeries, trauma, gastrointestinal bleeding or births with large blood loss.
In 2023, 183,778 people donated blood to the Hemepar network, a total that allowed demands to be met, but without breaks: there were times when the stock became critical and it was necessary to call on the population to intensify donations.

To donate and join this solidarity network, it's simple: you just need to be between 16 and 69 years old (minors must be accompanied by a legal guardian), weigh more than 51 kilos and be in good health (see below).

“On the day of the donation, we always advise that the donor drink plenty of fluids and eat well beforehand. Many people confuse this with the blood test, thinking that they cannot eat on the day, but in fact it is a completely different procedure,” explains Vivian. The advice is to avoid feeling unwell after the donation.

Another point worth highlighting is that all blood types are welcome. “Since type O is a universal donor, it is the first choice for emergencies in which it is not possible to identify the victim’s blood type. However, all blood types are extremely necessary to maintain stocks and meet the demands of the 385 hospitals.”

June 14th is World Blood Donor Day, created to honor those who donate and raise awareness for those who do not yet do so. In Brazil, National Blood Donor Day is November 25th.

In addition to people outside the age and weight range, there are temporary or permanent restrictions on donation for people who have acute or chronic health problems, have recently been immunized, have undergone surgery, have recently traveled out of state, are breastfeeding or are at higher risk of acquiring sexually transmitted diseases. The full list can be found on the same website for scheduling.

In addition to the dates, donors from Paraná are entitled to half-price tickets for cultural events and exemption from paying registration fees for public competitions and selection processes carried out within the scope of the State Powers.