Mobile blood donation clinics

The South African National Blood Service has an amazing network of mobile clinics that cater to schools, universities, large offices and small towns. Also blood drives at shopping centres. I benefited from the convenience of this on Tuesday when I visited the Parys mobile clinic to make my donation.

For many years I've been donating regularly at the fixed donor clinic in Bruma. I always time my donations to be 'available' during the xmas-New Year period when blood is in high demand. As I moved to Parys in December, I went to the fixed clinic in Potchefstroom while in the town for other errands.

In last week's Paryz Gazette, our knock-and-drop community newspaper, I saw a note about a mobile clinic on 8 March. I went along.

They have an excellent set up in the hall of a local church (we have no shortage of these in this town!) and according to the SANBS guy that I spoke to, Parys is very well supported. They have clinics on the second Tuesday of every month to cater to two groups of donors (you can donate every 52 days). At each clinic they usually receive just over 100 donations.

For comparison, my old centre in Jo'burg receives between 280-350 per month. Open six days a week and open till late on week nights.

I took Ruben along with me (Kyla was at gymnastics).

On the way to drop Kyla at gymnastics I told her that while she was there, Ruben and I would go along to the donor clinic. I explained to both children that you have to be over 16 and weigh more than 50kg to donate blood.

Kyla remarked that she would then make sure that she didn't weigh more than 50kg when she is older (she's 10 now) so that she doesn't have to donate. I explained that it isn't a compulsory thing to give blood and that people choose to do so.

Then, it being in my nature, I gave her something to think about.

Her mom was in a bad car accident may years ago. It resulted in a hospital stay and extensive back surgery. I don't know whether she received a transfusion but considering the seriousness of the accident, it may have been likely. I explained to her that her mom may have received blood and that if it were not for the people who voluntarily donate blood, that her mom may not have survived. Blood cannot be manufactured (yet) and so the only way to have blood available is for people to donate it.

The same holds true for the many people who receive blood following bad car accidents every day. It can take 40 to 60 units to save the life of a trauma patient. For perspective, that's more than I've donated since I was 16 (I'm on #41 now).

When we went to fetch Kyla after gymnastics, Ruben told her all about seeing the blood in bags, the shaking machine, how they put the needle in and then took it out and the people we saw. It's a friendly, non-intimidating environment and he enjoyed the experience of being there. Kyla wants to come along next time. I hope that by the time she's 16, she'll have a different perspective on blood donations.

Of course, donating blood is not for everyone.

Many people are excluded because of their medical conditions - low blood pressure, low iron, diabetes, previous hepatitis illnesses, certain medications, heart conditions... This is for the donor's own health; not that SANBS doesn't need their blood.

And then some people just can't do it. There are many who faint at the sight of a needle or blood. And that's ok too. It just is.

All those people in good health, with no illnesses, conditions nor phobias... We need you. We need your blood. And not once-off on Mandela Day... Regularly. That's three (minimum) to six (maximum) times a year. This gives you a 'regular blood donor' status.

REMEMBER: SANBS only uses blood from regular donors. If you just donate once a year as a well-intentioned, feel-good activity, you blood will sit on ice for up to a year, waiting for you to donate again so that they can test it and confirm that your blood is safe to donate. If you don't come back, they throw it away because you have no safe track record. What a waste of their resources and your blood!

If you were on the receiving end, you'd expect to receive safe blood; and that's why they have these stringent criteria.

If you're in good health and are prepared to commit to donating at least three times a year (that's only every four months), then pop along to a SANBS fixed clinic or a mobile clinic (find them on the www.sanbs.org.za website).

You're needed.

Visitors, are you ready to paddle?

I'm developing a habit. A nice one. Of 'making' my visitors paddle.

My aunt came to stay two weeks ago for a few days. We (me and my mom) got her onto the water. The first time in her life to paddle. My mom took her out on a double sit-on-top and they did really well. And, more importantly, my aunt enjoyed it.

My aunt in the front, my mom at the back.

My dad arrived today and he'll be here for two nights. He was easily coerced into coming paddling. He took my mom's boat, a single sit-on-top, while I paddled my V7. We got onto the water quite late so it was very quiet and still with a low sun quickly sinking.

My dad is a really good birder and he has eagle eyes. This evening I saw more birds - and more types of birds - than I've seen in the past three months. I now know the name of the golden-necked, swimming and diving water birds, darters. And we were also fortunate to see a large grey heron (I saw one last week too).

Paddle selfie

 Here's the thing...

If you come to visit us here in Parys, remember to pack your shorts and tees because you can be sure that I have a paddle outing lined up for you.

Orienteering friends, you'll be delighted to know that I've started mapping our regular paddling section of the river for a Canoe-O. I took my draft map out this evening to see how it matches up - I'm chuffed! It is looking great. I've got some decisions to make about how to deal with some vegetation issues but for the rest it is lookin' good.

A rafting outing on the Vaal

After a day of immense sadness on Saturday, it was good for me and mom to get out on Sunday. We finally had enough water in the river to take the rafts out. What a treat to be able to launch rafts less than three kilometres from home! Ah, the joys of living in Parys on the Vaal River. The water was a bit up (90-100 cumec) - enough to cover enough rocks to give us a clear run. (Celliers says it was actually around 60 cumec. On Saturday it was higher at 90-100 but by Sunday morning it had dropped)

This was my mom's first time in a raft and she took each rapid like she'd done this a dozen times before.

We take out on Jacques and Tanja's farm - it's a leisurely half-day trip with a stop on an island for snacks. If one were to paddle fast (a kayak, not a raft), it could probably take two hours or less for the same distance.

Getting our kit ready and rafts inflated.

Mom and Ruben.

The Holtzhausen family raft

Boys playing bumper cars...

It is really challenging to get a non-funny-face photo of these two! Puffed out cheeks, wiggling fingers in mouths, hiding from the camera... This was the most 'normal' of the lot.

Start 'em young.

Kyla chillin'

Celliers teaching Jacques the lines through the 'Stepping Stones' rapid.

Goodbye, my kitten

20 years ago my mom and I returned from the Germiston SPCA with a little tabby girl kitten. She was tiny and scraggy and had caught our attention when we spotted her climbing the front fence of her cage. We thought she was a he until standing at the reception desk the lady writing the slip said, "Female tabby". We said, "Oh, we wanted a boy" but this little thing was snuggled up in my neck so we said, "Nevermind, we'll keep her". This was the best R30 we have ever spent.

I named her Bracken, after a mole; a central character in the book "Duncton Wood" by William Horwood. I liked the character and also the strength in the sound of word - perfect for a little stray kitten.

We took her home on 30 March 1996.

When she was young she was a fairly regular cat. She was always sweet natured, never one to claw and scratch - unless you tried to tickle her tummy. She ran up curtains, climbed our legs and spent a lot of time outside doing cat thing. She wasn't very affectionate. She didn't really do sitting on laps and wouldn't let us her pick her up to hold longer than 10 seconds. In her youth she was a pretty good bird catcher, leaving us gifts to show her affection.

Bracken. March 2012.

We almost lost her when she was 11 or so. She went to her vet for dental work (recurring tooth infection) and had a bad reaction to the anaesthetic and pain meds. Thank goodness she was a little on the overweight side because this certainly saved her life. She lost a ton of weight but recovered. She continued to have teeth issues. Even so, she never complained and still loved to munch her crunchies, although I doubt that she had more than three teeth in her mouth in recent years.

Bracken. April 2013.

Bracken lived in one home her whole life - until recently - and while I came and went - travel, races, living in a different house - my mom was her constant. There was usually always one of us with her. If I was away, she had mom. If mom was away, she had me. Only in her younger years did she go to kennels and for the few times when mom and I were away together, loving friends came to stay with her.

Bracken. September 2015.

I returned to live with mom and Bracken at the end of 2010. This 14-year old girl was no longer a young cat focused only on doing cat things. She took to sitting on my lap while I was working - as if she'd been doing it her whole life. We'd spend hours each day like this. I took advantage of her mature-cat affection, 'training' her to be a holdy cat. Initially I was delighted to be able to hold her for 20 seconds without her wriggling out of my arms and over the years we progressed from seconds to minutes until I could even walk around doing things with her draped over my shoulder.

Bracken. August 2014.

I can barely begin to describe how the past few years of being with this magical kitty has been. She has been deaf for some years but with this came more communication from her. Vocalisations to call us, because she couldn't hear where we were in the house (of course we came running). Affection in abundance. Communication between us on another level.

To say she was sweeter every day... So many days mom and I would look at each other bewildered. How was it possible that she could possibly be more caring, more attentive, more communicative and more sweet? Yet she was.

With her gran. June 2015

With gran. March 2015.

At the end of November last year I put our kitty in her cage and drove her the 125 kilometres to her new home in Parys. This was the longest drive in her life and her first time moving home. After two weeks indoors she took to her new, large garden like she was an old hand at moving home and settling in - although she only liked to venture out with one of us accompanying her. She had a bounce in her step and renewed kitten-ness. We think she must have been quite bored at her old home. This change was really good for her. She enjoyed watching the visiting monkeys in the garden.

Three weeks ago I went to Cape Town for a week and on my return I noticed an aged look to her face. Mom had noticed it too. Although she'd been a poor eater and very skinny for a long time, she seemed to have lost even more weight. I had sleepover with my girls on Wednesday night. Mom said she was drinking and peeing often. Diabetes or kidney issues were likely. We knew already that we didn't have long.

Sleeping perfection. We could watch her for hours. And we did. December 2013.

Yesterday she didn't eat. She wanted to but seemed nauseous. We took her to the vet here in Parys. Mom had checked them out when we moved. The friendly vet looked with sad eyes at our kitty. Her symptoms and white inner eyelids pointed to a very low red blood cell count and she said Bracken was very likely already in kidney failure. She suggested sedating Bracken for blood tests, the outcome of which would possibly have recommended a blood transfusion, which may have only given us another week. We chose to take our kitty home to love.

This morning I woke my fast asleep kitty-daughter, cuddled her and put her in her cage to take to the vet. It was an enormously hard thing for mom and I to do and we were with her, our fingers running through her soft fur, at the end.

We have buried her in my garden and mom and I will mosaic a paving stone to place over her.

This little girl has been a shining light of love and joy in our lives for 20 years. She leaves not a hole, but a gash in our hearts.

Bracken, my kitten, thank you for 20 years of love.