A Spanish citizen who has lived in Burgos for decades, Francisco del Amo Zarzo, has recently broken the record of Spain – and Europe – with 500 donations throughout his life. A historic and unprecedented milestone that has been of great help to the health of many patients.
“For little more than a mosquito bite, I helped a family and improved the health of a patient. I think it is more than enough reason to encourage you to donate blood,” he told reporters minutes before proceeding to donate at the point set up at the Divino Valles Hospital in Burgos capital.
The intrastory
This exemplary person is also president of the Brotherhood of Blood Donors of Burgos and responsible for the regional federation of Castilla y León. In total, he has been donating blood, platelets and plasma for 46 years, although in the last ten he has only been able to donate platelets and plasma on medical recommendation.
DONATE BLOOD
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Donating blood is necessary, since half of the population will need it at some point in their lives, but only 5% of potential donors donate once a year.
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By donating blood, many lives can be saved when it is used in emergency situations such as transplants or traffic accidents. It is recommended to make regular donations to adults who meet a series of specifications.
It all started in the most unexpected way in 1977 when his mother, a regular donor, took him to donate with her in Socuéllamos (Ciudad Real), his hometown. There he realized that it wasn’t a big deal, and he continued donating year after year.
Has met the maximum allowed
Since then, Del Amo Zaro has complied with the maximum allowed: four annual donations for men (three for women) and periodic donations of plasma or platelets (every 15 days). Hence, he has managed to reach that figure of 500, which he only shares with a man from Texas (United States), although there you pay to donate.
And in Spain it is a voluntary and unpaid procedure. Now, he is not the only donor in the province of Burgos, which closed 2023 with record data, since 21,473 donations were reached (790 more than the previous year). This represents a rate of 60.8 donations per 1,000 inhabitants, the best figure in the entire country.
“Donating is a great satisfaction”
With all this, it is worth noting that platelets can only be stored for five days, so it is necessary to have active donors to cover the treatment needs of hematological, oncological and other patients.
At least five donations are needed to obtain a platelet transfusion bag for one person. For its part, plasma is used to treat patients (for example, hemophiliacs). Transfusions also help people who have suffered major burns or a serious accident.
“Donating is a great satisfaction,” said Del Amo Zaro. Despite this, he confessed to ‘The Spanish‘that he still has the same fear as the first day and that he has “a callus in his vein.” A story that has not left anyone indifferent and that has moved Spanish society.
2024-01-16 08:11:07
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