Sharing rare blood to save lives

Where needed, there is

On a late autumn morning, I had the opportunity to meet a few members of the Hai Duong Rare Blood Group Club. More than anyone else, those with rare blood (Rh-) understand that if they encounter an accident and there is no blood donor, the chance of regaining life is very slim.

With just one phone call, members of the Rare Blood Group Club are ready to put aside all work and go donate blood to save lives. They are the ones who understand the value of those precious blood units best. Only by meeting and interacting with people with rare blood types can one feel the happiness from that sharing.

In 2013, when giving birth to her first child at Hai Duong General Hospital, Ms. Le Thi Nham in Mac Thu village, Lien Mac commune (Thanh Ha) learned that she had a rare blood type B (Rh-). When the doctor advised and warned her about the possible risks of having a rare blood type, Ms. Nham was confused and worried. Because even though she had worked as a midwife, she had never heard of rare blood types. Fortunately, the first time she gave birth, Ms. Nham and her child had a safe delivery.

After giving birth, her health stabilized, she started to go online, learn about rare blood types and learned that the percentage of people with this rare blood type in Vietnam is very low. This would be disadvantageous for her because when she needed a blood transfusion, there would be no blood available. Therefore, she continued to explore and learn to join rare blood type associations. Up to now, she has shared her rare blood type 3 times to save people. Each time she participated, she also encouraged her husband and colleagues in the company to donate blood.

Ms. Nham shared: "I remember the first time I donated blood when Hai Duong General Hospital called because there was a case of an accident during work, needing an urgent blood transfusion. At that time, I was working at the company, asked to donate blood but the team leader in the production team did not agree because it was still during working hours. However, I still resolutely went because more than anyone, I understood that if the blood was not transfused in time, the life of the victim would be very fragile". In the following blood transfusions, as soon as the hospital called, Ms. Nham would leave her work, regardless of the time to go to the place to transfuse blood for patients in critical condition. There were times when Ms. Nham and some brothers and sisters with rare blood types went all the way to the Central Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion to donate blood. Each time the emotions were different, but in common there was a bit of pride and happiness because her rare blood had saved a life.

Also discovering that she had a rare blood type when she was about to give birth, Ms. Nguyen Thi Nham in Thuong Duong village, Nam Trung commune (Nam Sach) was equally worried and anxious. At that time, Hai Duong had just been locked down due to the Covid-19 epidemic, and she was even more worried about the risks that could occur during childbirth. Fortunately, the cesarean section went smoothly. She herself was safe, but she knew that many people with rare blood types like her were in dire need of help.

“Saving one life is better than building 7 towers. Whenever I receive information from hospitals about a case of someone with a rare blood type being treated in an emergency, I am there immediately. I think the number of people with rare blood types is small, and only people with the same blood type as me can save each other, so if my health is guaranteed, I try to help. I sympathize and understand patients with this blood type, because I have experienced the same situation myself," said Ms. Nham.

To date, Ms. Nham has donated blood three times. She remembers the third time she donated blood the most, on the evening of 2023. At that time, she was celebrating a death anniversary in her mother's hometown when she received a phone call from a doctor at Hai Duong General Hospital asking her to come over immediately to save a person. The patient was taken to the hospital in critical condition due to severe blood loss.

It was late at night, her stomach was growling with hunger, but she still did not dare to eat because she knew that patients were waiting for her blood. She took a taxi to the hospital, and on the way, she shared her story with the driver. Knowing her story, the driver stayed at the hospital to wait for her to donate blood to save people, then drove her home. "The driver did not take money for the ride but also encouraged her, so even though I was very tired from donating blood, I felt warm, happy and a little proud of my sharing," Ms. Nham shared.

Having a peaceful and healthy life with her child today, Ms. Dinh Thi Ngan in Cam Pha City (Quang Ninh) and her family members cannot forget the day she and her child escaped death and returned home.

She said that during the cesarean section, due to complications of placenta previa, the surgery was difficult and she suffered acute blood loss. The doctor said that after the surgery, her body only had 65% of its blood left, and without a blood transfusion, her life would be in danger. Meanwhile, her blood type O (Rh-) is rare, so the hospital did not have any available. That very night, the doctors had to mobilize many members of the rare blood type to the hospital to directly transfuse blood for her.

Two months after giving birth by cesarean section, her health had not fully recovered, but when she learned that the Northern Blood Group Club was holding a meeting, Ms. Ngan left her baby with her grandmother and was determined to attend the conference. From there, she understood more about rare blood types and decided to establish the Quang Ninh Rare Blood Group Club. She also met the people who had donated blood at the moment of life and death to say the two words "thank you" that she had been thinking about for so long.

"Not wanting to give, not wanting to receive", this is the thought of Ms. Nham and many other members of the rare blood group. However, urgent calls, regardless of time, whether donating blood in the province or outside the province, they always put aside their personal work to go. More than anyone, they understand that the source of blood suitable for people with rare blood is extremely precious, if not available, patients can easily fall into the hands of death.

Connect "red medicine"

The Hai Duong Rare Blood Group Club has more than 40 members. Although newly established, its members have been very active. Although the members are different in work and age, they are similar in that they are always ready to donate blood to help patients. For them, receiving calls from the hospital has become familiar.

Mr. Vu Hoang Dieu, Head of the Hai Duong Rare Blood Group Club, said that initially, only a group of people with rare blood group B (Rh-) were able to connect with each other. Later, during the blood donation campaign of the Hai Duong Provincial Red Cross Society, the General Hospital and the Obstetrics Hospital of Hai Duong Province discovered more people with Rh- blood group.

The number of people with Rh- blood type in Hai Duong is very small and blood transfusion for people with this type in case of emergency will be difficult, so doctors in the Department of Clinical Hematology, Hai Duong General Hospital have created a separate Zalo group for people with Rh- blood type to consult, share information as well as act as a bridge between the hospital and people with this blood type. After a long time of working and connecting, people with rare blood types in Hai Duong have established a club. This is considered a place to connect people with "red medicine" in Hai Duong province.

Mr. Dieu said: "Living and working in Quang Ninh province but being a son of Hai Duong and having a rare blood type, I want to contribute my enthusiasm with other members with the same blood type to share with the community. When the rare blood community grows, the health of the members in the group will be more and more guaranteed."

As an active member of the Hai Duong Rare Blood Group Club, Nguyen Manh Tien in An Lao village, Thanh Khe commune (Thanh Ha) understands that only people with the same Rh- blood group can help each other when blood is needed. They do not donate blood as often as Rh+ people, but must always be ready to donate blood when there is an emergency.

The characteristic of Rh- is that it can be transfused to people with Rh+ or Rh- blood groups but can only receive Rh- blood. If the wrong blood group is transfused, hemolysis (mutual exclusion reaction) will occur, causing shock, kidney failure, cardiovascular collapse, and even death. Patients in emergency situations who need blood transfusions are often in critical condition, but if the patient has the rare Rh- blood type, the situation will be even more critical. Because currently, provincial and district hospitals do not reserve blood with the Rh- antigen. Therefore, this "living blood bank" is very necessary.

Rare blood is considered a “red medicine” for treating special cases that no other medicine can replace. They are the “silent heroes” who donate drops of blood to help save many lives in the most dire circumstances. With a spirit of enthusiasm and willingness to share for the community, the activities of the members of the Rare Blood Group Club have contributed to saving the lives of many cases in need of blood. This noble act has added faith and hope to the patients, and multiplied noble actions in the community.