DONORS RESPOND TO TRAGEDY
Donors respond to tragedy
By Rosie Uffindell
"I'M giving blood because of the bombing it's all you can do and I'll say a prayer too," said Raymond Kane from Dublin.
Close to 300 hundred people who packed the blood transfusion service headquarters at Belfast City Hospital in response to urgent medical
appeals yesterday.
Mr Kane, a professional boxer, interrupted his training routine in order to give blood: "I should have been in the gym today but I've been here for three hours though I'm not bothered about that now. I just felt obligated to do something."
His friend Sean Osborne from Belfast said: "We're here today because of the demand for blood after the bomb although I'm a donor anyway.
I just wanted to do something and not feel completely useless."
The minimum waiting time for the people who called was two hours although many people had been waiting in the hot offices for around three hours.
The transfusion service which normally has its quietest day on a Monday urged the public to come forward because stocks were almost depleted after the Omagh bombing.
One insurance brokers in Newtownards allowed many of its staff to travel up to Belfast to give blood.
Emma Gunning said: "Six of us have come up so far today but there are a lot more of us still to come up. It was awful to hear the news and I just felt it was important to give blood."
Among the crowds who squeezed into the waiting rooms and corridors was former Belfast lord mayor David Cook.
Mr Cook said that he had just come back from a holiday when he heard the appeal for blood: "I heard the news of the horrific events in Omagh and what struck me most were the huge numbers of people involved and the sheer scale of the injuries.
"Naturally in those circumstances it was very important to give blood although that's something I've done a lot over the years anyway."
While the transfusion service was delighted with the turn out they were quick to stress that the public should not treat this as a one-off event.
Dr McClelland of the service said: "Blood stocks were reasonably good on Saturday so we could cope but they're low now and we particularly
need O-Negative donors."
The transfusion service also said that it was vital that they get blood from as many new and lapsed donors as possible to get the blood stocks back up as soon as possible.
Charles Kinney of the blood transfusion service said: "People who give blood today are not able to give blood again until Christmas week which is traditionally a time of low blood stocks so it's important that we get new blood not just today and tomorrow but constantly over the days and weeks to come."
Donor sessions are being held today in Bangor, Omagh and at Belfast City Hospital.
Tomorrow sessions will take place in Omagh and Newry, on Thursday in Strabane, Newry and College Street, Belfast and on Friday in Castwellan, Stewartstown and Dunmurry.
Anyone needing further information should contact the service on FreeCall 0500 534 666.
By Rosie Uffindell
"I'M giving blood because of the bombing it's all you can do and I'll say a prayer too," said Raymond Kane from Dublin.
Close to 300 hundred people who packed the blood transfusion service headquarters at Belfast City Hospital in response to urgent medical
appeals yesterday.
Mr Kane, a professional boxer, interrupted his training routine in order to give blood: "I should have been in the gym today but I've been here for three hours though I'm not bothered about that now. I just felt obligated to do something."
His friend Sean Osborne from Belfast said: "We're here today because of the demand for blood after the bomb although I'm a donor anyway.
I just wanted to do something and not feel completely useless."
The minimum waiting time for the people who called was two hours although many people had been waiting in the hot offices for around three hours.
The transfusion service which normally has its quietest day on a Monday urged the public to come forward because stocks were almost depleted after the Omagh bombing.
One insurance brokers in Newtownards allowed many of its staff to travel up to Belfast to give blood.
Emma Gunning said: "Six of us have come up so far today but there are a lot more of us still to come up. It was awful to hear the news and I just felt it was important to give blood."
Among the crowds who squeezed into the waiting rooms and corridors was former Belfast lord mayor David Cook.
Mr Cook said that he had just come back from a holiday when he heard the appeal for blood: "I heard the news of the horrific events in Omagh and what struck me most were the huge numbers of people involved and the sheer scale of the injuries.
"Naturally in those circumstances it was very important to give blood although that's something I've done a lot over the years anyway."
While the transfusion service was delighted with the turn out they were quick to stress that the public should not treat this as a one-off event.
Dr McClelland of the service said: "Blood stocks were reasonably good on Saturday so we could cope but they're low now and we particularly
need O-Negative donors."
The transfusion service also said that it was vital that they get blood from as many new and lapsed donors as possible to get the blood stocks back up as soon as possible.
Charles Kinney of the blood transfusion service said: "People who give blood today are not able to give blood again until Christmas week which is traditionally a time of low blood stocks so it's important that we get new blood not just today and tomorrow but constantly over the days and weeks to come."
Donor sessions are being held today in Bangor, Omagh and at Belfast City Hospital.
Tomorrow sessions will take place in Omagh and Newry, on Thursday in Strabane, Newry and College Street, Belfast and on Friday in Castwellan, Stewartstown and Dunmurry.
Anyone needing further information should contact the service on FreeCall 0500 534 666.
Further Information
Publisher: THE IRISH NEWS
Ref: IN/0689
Published Date: 18-Aug-98
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