Lifesaver honored: Blood donors in Friedberg honored for their commitment!

Lifesaver honored: Blood donors in Friedberg honored for their commitment!

On Monday evening, long-time blood donors were honored at the district office of the Bavarian Red Cross (BRK) in Friedberg. The BRK district association Aichach-Friedberg honored a total of 25 people for their 50 blood donations, 13 people for 75 donations, 11 people for 100 donations, 7 people for 125 donations and 3 people for 150 donations. The district manager Robert Erdin expressed his thanks to the honorees and emphasized their valuable contribution to patient care. Mayor Florian A. Mayer accompanied some of the blood donors from Mering to the honor, including Angelika Müller and Markus Sepp, who were both honored for 50 donations, and Martin Sepp and Michael Sepp, who achieved 75 donations.

In 2024, the Aichach-Friedberg district recorded a total of 5,189 blood donors who took part in 40 blood donation appointments. The events took place in Affing, Aichach, Aindling, Dasing, Friedberg, Kissing, Mering and Pöttmes. On average, around 130 people took part in the appointments, including around eight first-time donors. The BRK district association gained 325 new blood donors last year, which underlines the importance and incentive to donate blood.

The importance of blood donation

Around 2,000 blood units are needed in Germany every day. This fact highlights the urgency of blood donations as there is no artificial alternative to human blood. A single blood donation can save up to three lives, highlighting the importance of this altruistic act. The blood preparations also have a maximum shelf life of 42 days and must therefore be refreshed regularly. There are currently around 240,000 active blood donors registered in Germany, supported by 12,500 volunteers, 240 freelance doctors and 680 employees in the BRK blood donation service.

For those interested, the digital donor service for blood donations in Bavaria offers an easy way to participate in blood donations. The associated app allows you to search for and reserve blood donation appointments, coupled with other helpful functions such as the digital blood donor card and an overview of previous donations. The digital donor service can be accessed via the app or the website www.spenderservice.net be used.

The role of blood donation in the German healthcare system

Blood donation is an important pillar of the German healthcare system, with the German Red Cross (DRK) covering 75% of the country's blood supply. The DRK blood donation services carry out over 40,000 blood donation appointments every year. This is critically important, especially as approximately 100,000 active blood donors retire each year. World Blood Donor Day, celebrated on June 14, commemorates Karl Landsteiner's discovery of the ABO system of blood groups and highlights the importance of blood donation for modern medicine.

The need for blood donations remains unbroken; According to the motto of World Blood Donor Day 2023 “#missingtype”, the importance of everyone being able to make a contribution is highlighted. With more than 15,000 blood donations every day in Germany, every donation is invaluable.