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AHMEDABAD : The Patel family from Manekbaug has 27 members in an extended family of four brothers and a sister. Of these, 16 have donated blood more than 50 times, including four centurions who have donated more than 100 times! “Cumulatively, we have donated about 1,400 units of blood so far.
Considering one unit at 450 ml, the total accounts for about 630 litres,” says Dr Maulin Patel, who is the youngest centurion blood donor of Gujarat.
As the National Voluntary Blood Donation Day is celebrated on Oct 1 in India, Ah- medabad holds the distinction of being the capital of blood donation – the city boasts a record 130 centurion blood donors, including three women centurions.
But amid these stalwarts, two families hold the distinc- tion of donating more than 350 litres of blood! While the Patels have donated 1400 units or 630 litres, the Mavalankars have donated 790 units or 356 litres.
For our family, the tradition started with my uncle Rameshbhai, who was inspired by Satya Sai Baba and wanted to initiate the practice of donation.
In 1985, it was more to do with ensuring a regular blood supply for children with thalassaemia. While he donated blood 94 times, his son Amul has donated 103 times. Today, the third generation is carrying forward the legacy,” says Dr Maulin Patel, adding that Dimple Bhimani, his sister, has donated blood 103 times. “My parents, who are in the US, are nearing their centuries with 98 donations each.”
Dimple Bhimani says that women generally did not come forward for the donation, but it was the overall family support and blood donation as amission that inspired her to donate regularly.
For the Mavalankar family, the legacy started with the establishment of the Indian Red Cross Society (IRCS) in 1962 during the Indo-China war to ensure blood supply for the armed forces. Dr VG Mavalankar was one of the co-founders of the unit in Ahmedabad. There are 24 blood donors from families of four brothers.
His nephew Siddharth Mavalankar today is one of the foremost blood donors with 180 donations. “In whole blood donations – as nowadays plasma and platelet donations are also counted – it is one of the highest.
Considering that one can donate four times a year with a gap of three months, I donated regularly for 45 years,” he says, adding that the cap of 65 years stopped him from going further.
In the Mavalankar family, there are five members who have donated blood more than 50 times. “For us, the motivation was to ensure a constant blood supply.
When I started off in 1974, it was rare to find those who donate blood four times a year. It is heartening to see the overall awareness and enthusiasm of the city for the cause,” adds Mavalankar.
Mukesh Patel, chairman emeritus of IRCS Ahmedabad, says that the logo of the chapter is a lion as Amdavadis are truly ‘Sherdil’ when it comes to giving. “Where else would you find so many blood donors who ensure that there is never a dearth of lifeblood for the patients?” he says.
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