Last Saturday (10th May, 2014) saw two people from Oberursel and one from Bad Homburg thanked for their long-term support for the Blood Donation service.
Christel Rindt (62), Gerhard Hohmann (69) und Karl Hainz (65) had come along to the monthly blood donation session at the Red Cross on the Marxstraße, each of them donating 500ml of blood as they had done so many times before.
Except that this time it was for the 100th, 125th and 150th time respectively. “That is particularly impressive” commented Jürgen Swoboda from the Red Cross Blood Donation service.
Michaela Tappenden (left) with Gerhard Hohmann, Christel Rindt, Karl Hainz and Jürgen Swoboda (right)
Christel Rindt started donating blood when she was living in Thuringia in order to find out her blood group, but is now a loyal donor in Oberursel. She was presented with a watch engraved with her name.
Gerhard Hohmann has been donating blood in Oberursel sind 1968, although that has not always been in the same building. He remembers going along to donate for the first time at the primary school “Mitte”, having been persuaded to go by a friend. He was presented with a calling card holder, also engraved with his name.
But it was Karl Hainz from Bad Homburg who donated for the 150th time, something he started on 22th August, 1969 in Gedern (Wetteraukreis). At the time he had just passed his driving test and wanted to do something to help other people on the road, hoping never to need the same help himself.
Each of the three received a certificate and pin, along with a hamper from the local Red Cross group.
Anyone who is in good health and between 18 and 71 years old can donate blood, although you must not be older than 64 to donate for the first time. To make sure that there are no complications, a doctor checks the health of all donors in advance. The blood donation itself only takes a few minutes, but the whole process of registration, check-up, and the snack afterwards can take around an hour.
That hour can save lives, because in Hessen alone 5,500 people must donate blood each week in order to create sufficient supplies for the hospitals in the area.
The blood donation in Oberursel takes place on the 2nd Saturday in each month at the Red Cross building at Marxstraße 28 between 1pm and 6pm. A further two appointments take place each year at the fire brigade in Weißkirchen, the next one being on Thursday, 30th July, 2014 between 3.45pm and 8pm.
About Graham Tappenden
