Ruby Grimshaw dons a donor approach

After visiting Indonesia I had to wait three months before I could donate blood again, because of the risk of malaria and dengue fever, and I will probably have to do the same after returning from India next month.

So, sadly, it is going to take some time before I qualify with enough donations for my next donor award. I received my little silver badge when I reached 25 donations. This amount of blood would be enough to fill up about two people, which sounds pretty impressive when you look at it like that. Oldies will remember comedian Tony Hancock’s classic blood donor sketch. The next award is for 50 and then 75 – when one is invited up to London to take part in a special awards ceremony and to collect a beautiful crystal plate. A photograph is also taken which appears in the next edition of The Donor.

“I had a friend whose main aim in life was to get his 75 donations in by the time he was 70, the age limit then.”

He was absolutely determined to obtain and enjoy his 15 minutes of fame. I knew I didn’t have a chance at that time, but the age limit has been lifted since then and I am trying to work out if I now have a chance of reaching my 75 donations. At present, my total is only 43, so if I insist on doing these sponsored horse rides for the Brooke Hospital for Animals and going to places where malaria is prevalent I don’t think I’m going to reach my goal.

I shall be over 80 and I don’t think my blood will be much good to anyone by then. I will need every drop for myself.
The World Health Organisation directs that donations should always be voluntary but there are still many countries where donations earn a financial reward, which obviously can lead to corruption and manipulation of the service. Yet it might encourage more people to donate in the UK if, in addition to key fobs and stickers, worthwhile freebies like vouchers to jump the NHS waiting list in the future were given out during donating sessions. In Italy one can earn a day off work for donating. Apparently in Singapore you earn a lovely bronze award for 25 donations and a beautiful plaque for 75, which is called the Ruby award. Now that would look great on my mantelpiece.