DRK local association honors deserving blood donors – Maximiliansau

2023-09-24 11:29:34

“You never know whether you might find yourself in the situation of needing blood yourself,” says Erich Schneider from Maximiliansau, explaining his motivation for regularly donating blood. At a ceremony organized by the DRK Maximiliansau local association, he was honored for 175 blood donations – and there are now several more.

“I donated blood 188 times,” Schneider knows exactly. Everything is documented in the blood donation cards. His first blood donation was in September 1970 in the Tullahalle in Maximiliansau. He had heard that donor blood was needed and had actually wanted to become a donor earlier. But due to an operation in 1968, he was initially not allowed. In 1970 the doctor gave the okay.

Donation dates in Maximiliansau were always in spring and September. Later there were more appointments, up to six a year, says Schneider, who was born in 1947. The number of donors per appointment has decreased significantly, observes Schneider. In the past, people sat together for a longer time after the donation appointments. Then, as now, there is a small snack or something sweet like chocolate. “There used to be a cognac afterwards” – of course that is no longer the case today. Schneider doesn’t donate blood for that reason, but because he wants to help other people.

Willingness to donate is declining

Many of his family are blood donors. And he’s not afraid of the needle. It doesn’t take long to look for blood in the crook of his arm. One prick and: “It works!” A good half liter per appointment. He almost exclusively donated blood in Maximiliansau – if he couldn’t make an appointment and another was better in Jockgrim or Hagenbach. He believes that a few more donations should be added to the 188 donations. “I’ll donate as long as I’m allowed – and able.”

With 175 donations, Peter Klingbeil is also one of the exceptional donors to the DRK Maximiliansau, even though he now lives in Karlsruhe. Karl Eberle, chairman of the Maximiliansau local association, confirms: such a high number is extraordinary. He confirms Schneider’s observation that fewer blood donors are coming. During the Corona period, the willingness to donate increased. Eberle estimates around 30 percent. The pre-Corona level has now been reached again. A low but stable level. Eberle, who carried out the honors, explained the special value of the lifeblood of blood, which cannot be produced artificially. Almost every person needs to donate blood at least once in their life.

The Honorees

In addition to Erich Schneider and Peter Klingbeil (175 blood donations), Hermann Klingbeil (Hagenbach) was honored for 125 donations. Helge Hoffmann, Andreas Fried and Gerd Wilhelm for 100 donations. Monika Meyerer-Wöschler, Rainer Emil Schaaf (Hagenbach) and Silke Kis-Pal (Jockgrim) for 75 donations. For 50 donations: Ursula Thürwächter (Kandel), Dieter Marz, Tanja Siegel, Susanne Gromotka and Stefan Hesse. For 25 donations: Laura Rittershofer and Hans-Jörg Bachholz (both Karlsruhe), Alex Ferris Wilhelm, René Gurlin, Thorsten Nagel, Bettina Bauer.

The following were honored for 10 donations: Matthias Hartmut Huss, Heiko Alexander Jöckle (Ludwigshafen), Rita Dachtyloudis, Florian Simon (Berg), Katica Cestr, Necla Fidan, Pasquale Lüthin and Tim Kunze (Karlsruhe), Silke Hildegard Praxl (Hagenbach), Kevin Splettösser , Sylvia Thieme-Schechner, Hans-Michael Wenger, Edwin Gerdon, Sascia Manteufel (Landau), Sabine Börkel and Alexander Heintz.

Deadline

Next blood donation date at DRK Maximiliansau: Wednesday, November 15th.