The annual Hatzopoulos Voluntary Blood Donation Day took place in our factory on 22 May 2018 in collaboration with the “Ippokrateio” Hospital of Thessaloniki. Once again, our employees expressed their caring spirit donating 39 pints of blood!
As there are no alternatives to human blood, countless lives are saved every day thanks to generous donors who give of their own blood for the benefit of others. The donated blood is divided into many components based on the needs of the needy patients. Each of them is used by unique recipients for different purposes. The newly born babies can benefit from one blood donor because their blood requirements are smaller. In general, with every pint 3 or 4 individual recipients are helped.
On the other hand, donating blood has considerable benefits also for the donor:
-Reduces iron levels and risk of heart disease:
Iron is a mineral that the body needs to produce red blood cells. However, too much iron can be harmful to a person’s health. It can deposit into different organs of the body, such as the liver and heart, and affect the way those organs function. Depleting those extra iron deposits by donating blood gives your vessels more room to operate. Donating blood at least once a year could reduce your risk of a heart attack by 88 percent, according to a study conducted by the American Journal of Epidemiology.
-Identifies adverse health effects:
Each person who donates blood completes a simply physical examination and short blood test before giving blood. As a result, it is possible that a person could identify unknown health concerns as a part of the blood donation process. These health issues could include blood pressure concerns or low blood counts.
-The Joy of Saving Humans helps your mental state:
While there are several physical benefits to donating blood, the most powerful health benefit is arguably in the psychological side. Knowing that they have made a difference to the lives of others can relieve a person’s stress and make them feel mentally well or better about themselves than they did before. The joy of being a hero by donating blood is unique for the donors!
-Burns calories:
Donating blood burns up to 650 calories per donation, according to the St. Mary’s Medical Center, Blue Springs, MO. This can aid you in your body weight control measures. However, blood can be donated safely once in two or three months and not more frequently. This will depend on your health status and your blood hemoglobin and iron levels.
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Every year on 14 June, countries around the world celebrate World Blood Donor Day. We proudly join this celebration of humanity this year together with our modern heroes! Thank you!