Today, 16 July, marked the first of many Flow blood drives. Our first blood drive was dedicated to Nelson Mandela International Day on 18 July, and the South African National Blood Service (SANBS) managed to collect 22 units of blood from our willing (and some not-so-willing) heroes.
As some clients and Flowstars reclined in the chairs to donate, other heroes queued up, honourably willing to share their life-giving blood. There was an atmosphere of pride in the room that put smiles on even the most jittery of faces.
While some were quietly trying to get over their nerves, others were jaded long-time donors – and a few (Richard Frank) were just anxious to get back to work.
Reactions from the donors were varied, from the expressive wrinkling of noses and eyes to stony-faced nonchalant attitudes. Patrick Gurney of Collective Cow was possibly the most reluctant donor, but his brave exterior was second only to designer Alex Baker’s nonchalance, which bordered on being suspicious.
Of donating blood, Patrick said: “I’m giving away all my energy, hopefully it goes to a deserving individual.” He added that this was a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get [his] golden serum”. He then rather oddly insisted on feeling how warm his blood bag was before the nurse took it away.
After all of his protesting (it was like leading a cow to the slaughter), all he had to say about the actual experience was: “It’s not sore; I just feel a bit vacuumy.” And he added, “It’s the best fun I’ve had all day.”
Alex Baker, an experienced donor, gave an unemotional description of the experience: “At first you can feel it rush out and it’s warm – that’s quite weird – but then you can’t feel anything.”
Writer Kate Rau, who has also donated before, was a touch less rational. “I’m always scared my bag is going to overflow,” she said. “My worst fear is that the needle’s going to pop out and blood will spray everywhere.”
The less squeamish of the donors raced to see who could fill their bags the fastest, and words and phrases including “traffic”, “taxes”, “tax returns” and “warm beer” were being used in an attempt to raise blood pressures and accelerate the process. Banter between donors included such riveting topics as business, food, football and children; very few people actually discussed the blood draining from their arms.
A Flow client, Christo Crafford from Etana, has an O-negative blood type, which can be given to anyone and is used in emergency transfusions. As someone who regularly donates blood (the SANBS contacts him before holiday periods to ask for his blood), he, too, took it in his stride – except when the nurse put a little ball of cotton wool in his hand for him to squeeze, at which point he matter-of-factly asked, “What is that for? That’s gross.”
Another client, Lisa Henry from Left Hand Films, said: “It’s something I always plan to do but never do; now it’s easy. Go to the Flow offices, one-two-three done.”
Even though, when she looked at her blood bag she exclaimed, “It’s all warm … that was all going round my body a few minutes ago!” she said to Flow: “Thank you for having me.”
