Two texts last week got me thinking: One was about a young man from Giengen who registered to donate bone marrow at a rock festival. A few weeks later he got a call saying there was a “match” and he could donate. He did that and may have saved a woman in Italy’s life. Another text was about blood donation in the summer months, which is particularly important at this time of year.
Only three percent of people in Germany donate blood
Help others by donating blood or bone marrow from your own body. According to the German Red Cross, only three percent of the population in Germany are blood donors. I would not have thought that and assumed it would be much more. Because: the hurdles are actually low. Blood donors must be at least 18 years old, weigh more than 50 kilograms and feel fit and healthy. That should apply to more than the three percent mentioned.
I have to admit: I thought about donating blood, but I didn’t do it. I can’t explain why, especially since I have family members who donate blood regularly and have no problems doing so.
In other countries, only those who object do not donate
I had not even considered registering for a bone marrow donation. With around 7 million entries, the German Bone Marrow Donor Registry (DKMS) is the most comprehensive donor database in Germany. Registering is extremely easy. The chance of finding a genetic twin who can be helped with leukemia is small, but it can happen, as the case of the 21-year-old Giengen resident has shown. And then you can still decide whether you want to donate bone marrow.
I am well on my way to becoming active in both blood and stem cell registration. However, I still have my limits when it comes to deciding whether I want to be an organ donor. In Germany, I would probably have to do the same as in many other European countries: only those who object will not donate.
