Transcription
Blood transfusions save lives and improve health, but millions of patients around the world do not have access to safe blood transfusions when they need it. For this reason, in April the Global Embassy of Activists for Peace held a blood drive campaign in more than 18 countries called: Life is in the Blood – Donating the Sap of Life, with the objective of creating a culture of regular, voluntary and unpaid blood donation.
Effective Blood Units:
Argentina 428
Bolivia 1,101
Colombia 7,033
Costa Rica 104
Chile 386
Ecuador 517
Spain 91
El Salvador 116
Guatemala 102
Mexico 2,481
Nicaragua 220
Panama 90
Paraguay 30
Puerto Rico 245
Peru 145
Venezuela 1,122
USA 35
With a total of:
19,904 Donors
14,250 Effective Blood Units
This liquid, which is vital to the human being, cannot be manufactured in any laboratory. Only the human body can produce blood, and with one donation, up to four lives can be saved. This makes it fundamentally necessary that people make a conscious, altruist decision to help others by carrying out this act of social responsibility.
—Blood Recipient, Bolivia—
"A few days ago, my brother had an accident and we have been going from one place to another, trying to find blood for him, which is a special type, and he has been helped through the campaign you are carrying out. "
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—Blood Recipient, Chile —
"To provide the blood was nearly impossible for me to do on my own, since they had asked me for blood donors, around 12, which was impossible for me; but thanks to this campaign, I have been able to have surgery and I am fine."
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On Saturday, April 27, 2013 the international campaign was carried out at Explanada de los Héroes in Monterrey, Mexico. This event was attended by the International Directors of the Global Embassy of Activists for Peace, the Director of the National Center of Blood Transfusion, and the Secretary of Health for the State of Nuevo Leon, whom established ties to work together to create strategies that promote a culture of 100% voluntary blood donation in the country.
—Dr. Jesus Zacarias Villarreal Perez. Secretary of Health for the State of Nuevo Leon, Mexico—
"And we are well aware that technically, medically, blood that is donated voluntarily is better than blood donated by family members. Our goal is that 100% of all blood transfusions in Nuevo Leon come from altruistic blood donations.”
—Dr. William Soto Santiago. Global Ambassador of the Global Embassy of Activists for Peace—
"The objective of this blood drive campaign is to raise awareness in society about the need for a change in the blood donation system; to promote regular, voluntary and spontaneous donation.
A volunteer donor is a person who donates blood voluntarily; his or her principal motivation is to help his or her neighbors without personal gratification. This is the kind of volunteer culture our Institution wants to promote among society.”
—Dr. Julieta Rojo Medina. Director of the National Center of Blood Transfusion in Mexico—
“As the Director of the National Center of Blood Transfusion, I’m honored to tell you that this is the first time I have the honor to be at an event that is being held at an international level. Thanks to the participation of the International Blood Drive of the Embassy called: Life is in the Blood, you are preventing patients from having the tremendous worry of finding a blood donor, because with your generosity, the blood is ready for them.”
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Recognition
“‘For having the vision, for being a pioneer and permanent benefactor of altruist blood donation."
Signed by Governor Rodrigo Medina de la Cruz, exclusively to the Global Embassy of Activists for Peace.
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—Dr. Jesus Zacarias Villarreal Perez. Secretary of Health for the State of Nuevo Leon, Mexico—
"Today, we feel privileged that The Global Embassy of Activists for Peace which is a civil, international organization, and the presence of its Global Ambassador, Dr. Soto Santiago, in conjunction with the National Center of Blood Transfusion and the Federal Government, we organized this event to promote the culture of blood donation."
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“It is an opportunity for us to express that humane side of us, which all of us should have.”
—Blood Donor in Mexico—
“I know that by doing this I can help save 3 to 4 lives.”
—Blood Donor in El Salvador—
“When we donate blood, we know that we are giving life to other people.”
—Blood Donor in El Salvador—
“As human beings, we must be conscious that we should help each other, we are brothers.”
—Blood Donor in Ecuador—
“We are conscious that when we donate blood we are helping other people.”
—Blood Donor, Argentina, via Channel 26 - Buenos Aires—
“You are bringing peace to people in hospitals who are in need of it.”
—Blood Donor in Nicaragua—
“When you have children, you have a family, you worry about donating blood because you don’t know when one of your children may need blood.”
—Blood Donor in Puerto Rico—
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[Images of the International Blood Drive]
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The campaign’s results surpassed the expectations of the different institutions that supported the campaign at an international level. In all of the participating countries, large crowds were seen forming long lines to donate blood.
—Dr. Loreto Vergara. Director of the Metropolitan Center for Blood and Tissues in Chile—
“I especially want to thank all the directors who participated in this activity, because it has been completely successful; it exceeded all our calculations as far as the number of donors we expected. With this event, we realized this is definitively a serious Institution with an ability to gather people that is worthy of admiration.”
—Dr. Sonia Esperanza Rebollo. Coordinator of the District Network of Blood Banks in Colombia—
“This blood drive in Bogota has been the most successful as far as the number of effective blood units; our goal was significantly exceeded by over 40% more than what we had anticipated.”
—Gilad Berger. Consul of Israel to Ecuador—
“This campaign is very important for everyone here in Quito and I believe in the entire world; we also do this in Israel. I believe it is very important, and I want, I think and hope that more people will come and do what I did today.”
—William Paras, Campaign Coordinator in Paraguay—
“We have carried out this blood donation campaign in more than 16 countries with the purpose of fomenting solidarity among people as well as promoting a culture of voluntary and habitual blood donation."
—Deputy Emilia Alfaro De Franco, First Lady of Paraguay—
"Even if we have all the money in the world in our pockets, it isn’t the same if we don’t have the blood or the organ we want –that our patient needs, to save his life."
—Antonio Arbo, Ministry of Public Health of Paraguay—
"The Ministry supports and is strengthened with these blood drives because they are ways… As Carolina said, it is the greatest act of human kindness when we give a part of our lives to our fellow citizens so that they may continue living."
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The Global Embassy of Activists for Peace will continue working in this field, and will carry out activities throughout the year to raise awareness about altruist blood donation, especially among youth.