KARWAR : He is like any other person. But what makes him special is what flows in his veins and in his heart: Kindness. A blood donor with a large heart, 34-year-old Shridhar Ganesh Kumtakar of Kumta town , who has ‘O+’ blood group, is a serial blood donor, and reaching milestones isn’t the reason for his generosity but a mission to help others.
He has donated blood nearly 40 times in the last seven to eight years.Many blood banks in our country have been facing shortage of blood, especially rare blood groups like O(negative). But Shridhar is always ready to donate blood or will arrange for a donor in Uttara Kannada district.
Not only the public, even police, doctors and nurses ask him to arrange for donors in cases of emergencies. His friends are always ready to donate blood at any time.
He has created many WhatsApp groups --‘Rakta Needi Jeeva Ulisi’ (Donate blood, save life) —and included only donors. There are hundreds of people — from autorickshaw drivers to police personnel, college students to doctors.
There are some doctors and businessmen, who make transport and food facility to donors if they require to go to Udupi and Mangaluru hospitals to donate blood.One incident defined his goal. About seven years ago, he met with an accident and needed blood.
His mother, who was working as a helper in a private hospital in Kumta, struggled a lot to get a blood donor to save his life. That incident made him a blood donor.
Recalling the accident, he says, “I was addicted to alcohol. Once, after consuming alcohol, I was going on my two-wheeler and met with an accident. My head and hand were severely injured. My mother struggled a lot to save my life. No one came to donate blood. Finally, my mother’s colleague gave blood and I survived.”
“That accident changed my life. My friend took me to an Ayurvedic centre and the doctor helped me to come out of alcohol addiction. After that I began to donate blood.”
Now, he is completely de-addicted and runs a hotel in Kumta town. Whenever he meets kind- hearted people, he saves their mobile number along with their blood group. A police head constable says, “Many tourists visit the coastal district.
When a tourist meets with an accident, he/she has no one to help. After shifting the victim to hospital in any town and if they require blood they have to contact the blood bank which may be located in another taluk. In such cases, police contact Shridhar.”
BLOOD MATTERS
Each unit of donated blood is divided into three primary components — red blood cells, plasma and platelets and it will save three lives. Therefore, if a person donates one unit if blood, it means it will save three lives.
Shridhar says, “After I started to donate blood, I never had headache or any other side effects. I feel healthy and good. I prefer tender coconut, fruits, green vegetables, carrot and beetroot, eggs and fish in my food.”