Blood Donation!

I don't know what possessed me to wait and proceed with my first blood donation upon arrival in West Africa, but that is precisely what happened. You'd think I would have done a practice round on my home turf, but nothing doing...let me just say they didn't give me a cookie and orange juice afterward:-)

Upon working with Dr. Jacqueline Koster at the beginning of the week, I met a young woman with prolonged and probably fatal liver failure. She was hospitalized and found to have a significant anemia. A few days later, while pursuing her records, I noticed that a donor had not yet been found. There is no blood bank here, and multiple patients have been sent home with dangerously low blood counts due to the lack of blood for transfusions.

Wouldn't you know it, we had compatible blood types. I could not ignore her need. I proceeded to the lab for the initial screening exams. We had to swat away a few flies, but the lab technician was an expert, I barely felt the needle.

Upon arriving on the ward for the donation, the nurses joked with me saying I looked a "little pale" and was I sure I wanted to donate? (pale...I'm white...get it?) I told them I had plenty of blood and hopped up onto the table with a courage I did not feel. A mere 15 minutes later, a bag of my blood was ready and waiting for Aissatou. During the procedure the patient's mother was called as a witness to the source of the blood. Mistrust is understandable in a country with an AIDS epidemic.

The next day, the mother spotted me and called me over. She took me by the hand and pulled me into Aissatou's room where she proceeded to give me a bolt of fabric used to make a pagne, the outfit commonly worn here. She and her daughter were very appreciative and while I would have been happy to remain anonymous, I was touched by their gratitude.

I don't know if Aissatou will survive. The odds are certainly against her. I can only hope that my action brought her comfort during this time of great illness.