Giving blood is a crucial and lifesaving act. Yet, only 3% of Irish people are active donors.
World Blood Donor Day, which takes place on Monday 14 June, aims to raise global awareness around the topic and encourage the public to give blood.
“One in four people will require a blood transfusion at some point in their life,” explains Stephen Cousins, spokesperson for The Irish Blood Transfusion Service.
“That’s people you know – your family, your community – it’s all around us.
“World Blood Donor Day is an opportunity for blood services to stand back and think about the contribution donors make. We recognise that and we thank them for it because without them so much would not happen.”
For Chris Proby, 14 June holds a second significance – it is the four-year anniversary of the end of his two battles with cancer.
In 2015, Proby was diagnosed with an aggressive form of Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma after an accidental injury prompted an MRI scan, revealing a sizeable tumour in his leg.
“As a 32-year-old at the time who didn’t drink, didn’t smoke, was running five days a week, I was training for my fourth marathon, needless to say, it was the biggest shock that I could be told,” he says.
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