Reason 1: Sharing Comes Naturally

Like all animals, humans are complicated - we find ourselves in all sorts of tricky situations. Some of our cells have cleverly grouped together to do useful things; thus helping us get out of these tricky situations. We call these groups of cells organs, and they offer us an amazing toolbox of abilities that help us survive and flourish.

Sometimes these organs do things that are so useful, the rest of the body wants to share some of their good stuff - pass me some lovely food, give me some of that sweet oxygen, get rid of this nasty waste. A lot of this sharing is done through the medium of our circulatory system; a network of plumbing fixtures that connects Useful Bit 1 to Useful Bit 2 and all points in between.

The red gold that travels in the plumbing is our blood; a soup of useful components that communicate the benefits from Bit 1 to Bit 2 and keeps everything ticking over nicely. Our blood is fundamental to how we’ve adapted into a flourishing collection of useful, sharing bits and bobs. If it wasn’t for this interplay we’d still be in a warm pond somewhere happily absorbing basic nutrients, dividing, generally getting on with things.

So, sharing is good, we’re built to do it from the ground up - it works, it’s how we’re here. 

Reason 2: Sometimes We Need a Top-Up

Okay, so none of the above is a revelation - blood is useful. What surprised me when I started giving blood was just how useful it is, and how often people need some of the good stuff from others. Donated blood is either used whole, or spun down into its constituents elements for use as blood products. These go to people who need blood because they’ve lost some of their own, or because they’re deficient in a particular blood product. Every week the Irish Blood Transfusion Service needs about 3000 blood donations to make sure that people who have accidents, need operations or who are being treated for diseases have access to the blood and blood products they need. That’s a lot of blood.

Last week I was one of a number of people who were asked to come in to donate so that granulocytes (a type of white blood cell) could be used to treat somebody in hospital, presumably because their own immune system was damaged, or because they were fighting something pretty nasty.

I hope that the collective crime-fighting powers of our white blood cells are currently wiping the floor with whatever disease had the temerity to have a go. I’m sure like me you’ve had somebody in your family fall seriously ill; giving blood is a nice way to reach out and share with people you don’t know but who need a bit of a hand.

Reason 3: It’s Easy

Okay, so sharing is part of what makes us human, and sometimes we find ourselves in need of a top-up; the last reason why giving blood makes sense is because it’s totally easy. It is a bit of a shame that only 5% of eligible Irish people donate blood - it’d be cool to get this to 6%, 7%, 8% - and higher.

You go in, fill in a questionnaire, they test your haemoglobin levels (a little pin prick in your finger) and within a short time you’ll be in a comfy chair, ready to get started. When they put the needle into the vein in your arm if feels like a small scratch, and after about 20 seconds you don’t feel any sensation of the needle at all. After that it’s just a case of waiting a few minutes and chatting about the weather; it’s a bit like being at the barbers actually; sharp things, chit-chat.

After your donation you’ll be given access to all the Tayto crisps, biscuits and sugary drinks you can handle - at the D’Olier Street Clinic in Dublin you’ll also have one of the most spectacular views over O’Connell bridge and the city that you’re ever likely to see. You’ll leave with a pencil with your blood-group on it, and a warm fuzzy feeling.

How to Do It

If you feel like being one of the 3000 donations per week check out the spiffy IBTS website at giveblood.ie. IBTS have a number of always-there clinics (like D’Olier Street), they run mobile clinics and if you’re in Dublin of Cork they’ll even come and pick you and your work colleagues up so that you can all donate - then they’ll drive you back again.

So, give it a bit of a thought. It’s a nice thing to do, it doesn’t hurt, and the IBTS make it pretty easy to make a donation.