“Brother is not at home. Now what should we do?” questioned Babu Lal’s younger brother Gopi Lal.[break] “I have searched for him elsewhere also but couldn’t find him. I am ready to help you in whatever way you want, please give me a pint of blood for now,” Khan pleaded.
Gopi Lal was in a dilemma. He had never donated blood and was scared but then he couldn’t turn his back on Khan as his wife would have died in lack of blood. He stood up and went along with Khan to give blood for the first time. It was April, 1976 and Gopi Lal was just 19 then.
Gopi Lal was so much inspired by the fact that his blood saved the life of a woman in labor pain, that he has devoted his entire life to blood donation. And at 53, he is known in Nepalgunj as Blood Bank. He seems to be picked by the god to be a blood donor. For his blood group is O+ve, which can be donated to a person with any blood group.
The firefighter, at Nepalgunj Fire Brigade for the past 25 years, has donated blood at least every three month. He gave his blood for the 123rd time on February 18, 2010 and Red Cross Society in Banke has acknowledged that no one has given blood on so many instances in the district. In the last 34 years, he has missed the three-month schedule only four times. “Six months when I broke my hand and another six months when I fell ill,” he stated.
That apart, he has also gone to Lucknow and Bahraich in India along with patients in critical condition and given blood five times. “I gave blood for the first time being unable to say no to Banney. But it taught me the importance of blood,” he says and adds, “I felt if nothing else, we can contribute to the society through blood donation. A pint of extra blood from one’s body can prove to be vital for a patient in need.”
He doesn’t think about the identity of patients while giving blood and has sometimes given blood to even those who do not exactly have cordial relation him. “Businessman Mazir Maniyar of Nepalgunj (who was shot dead by unidentified group about six months ago) was not on speaking terms with me. His wife had come to me asking for blood and I obliged,” he recalled.
Nowadays he becomes nervous as the third month approaches thinking whether a person in need would come to him. He wants to donate fresh blood to others and so waits for patients. If no one comes, he himself goes to the blood bank at Red Cross to give blood. “I have given fresh blood on more than half of the 123 occasions,” he revealed.
He has been approached by many strangers as his name grew and proved almost a god for the patients coming to Nepalgunj from far flung villages of hilly districts. They don’t usually have their relatives in Nepalgunj and also cannot pay for blood.
He wants to help such needy patients every time but he has to wait for three months to help another person. So, he has devised a strategy to tackle the problem. “I have asked my brothers and wife to donate blood since I couldn’t help every person in need myself due to biological limitation,” he said.
His elder brother Babu Lal, for whom he substituted for his first time, has donated blood 12 times. His younger brothers Banwari Lal, Girdhari Lal and Murari Lal have given 56, and 70 times each respectively. Even his wife Laxmi Devi has given blood six times.
“Donating blood gives immense satisfaction as it makes the whole family of a patient happy apart from saving a life,” he reasoned.
He has never felt any problem after giving blood and has never had to return without donating blood in lack of blood in his body. “It is wrong to assume that donating blood makes a person weaker. You don’t even have to allocate much time for recovery and can return back to your daily routine without any fear,” he argued and claimed that he has experiences of fighting fire less than one hour after giving blood. He is very careful about formation of adequate blood in his body and eats accordingly. “I have heard eating green vegetables increases blood formation,” he said.
He says he has never taken a penny from the patient in exchange for blood apart from some fruits given to him to eat by elated families of patients. “I earn enough to support my living from my job. Blood donation has given me self satisfaction. What else does one need in life?” he questioned.
“I will continue to give blood till it can be extracted from my body,” he vowed.
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