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| A dozen happy donors pose for group shot after bloodletting |
When you donate blood, you help other people live.
Fired by this thinking, two groups
of women migrant workers lined up at the Red Cross Donation Centre in Causeway
Bay on October 7, in response to a perennial call by the agency for people in
Hong Kong to donate blood.
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| Pindutin para sa detalye |
It was the second blood donation
campaign by the United Philippine Taekwondo Organization Hong Kong (Upto HK)
and the Lady Drivers Organiation (LDO), and it won’t be the last, vowed their
leader, Mercy Permales.
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| Lady driver Babes smiles as blood is drawn from her |
Mercy herself has been a regular
blood donor, after having a sort of epiphany in December 2022, when she was feeling
homesick, and was contemplating on how she could make her life more meaningful.
It was while listening to the Christmas
song “We Are The Reason” by Avalon and again seeing the Red Cross appeal for
blood donation that everything clicked into place, she said.
“Doon ako nabuhayan ng loob at ang sabi ko sa sarili ko, Yes! This is what I want to do for Christmas. Jesus gave His life to mankind, kaya ako ay magbibigay naman ng dugo to save lives.”
(That was an awakening. I told
myself, ‘yes, this is what I want to do for Christmas. Jesus gave up his life
to mankind, so I should also give blood to save lives).
On Christmas day itself, Mercy
along with friend Marilyn, went to the Red Cross Donation Centre so they could
present their gift of life to their fellowmen.
Mercy said she felt even more
fulfilled when she received a text message from the Red Cross thanking her for
her donation, adding it could help save three lives.
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| Mercy says there's no greater gift than the gift of life, and love |
She decided to share her joy of
giving with members of Upto and LDO, who responded by heeding her call to do a
group blood donation.
Mercy says she hopes many others,
particularly her fellow migrant domestic workers, would also give blood.
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| Basahin ang detalye! |
“To those who wish to donate blood,
just search for the Red Cross Donation Centre nearest you. They accept walk-in,
and are open from 11am until 7pm, no noon break,” she said.
Like it was for her, she said the
donation would be even more meaningful if it’s done on Christmas day, which is
a statutory holiday for everyone, including migrant workers.
