HYDERABAD: Sampath Kumar, an entrepreneur from the city who runs Colours Beauty Salon at Road Number 5 Jubilee Hills, has been donating blood every three months for the last two decades. He has donated blood over a 1,000 times now. He first donated blood when he was 23 years old. “I read about a man who lost his life because he did not receive blood when needed. This incident shook me, and from there on, I started donating blood regularly,” says Sampath Kumar, whose blood group is O+Ve which has helped him save 472 lives.
Besides, he has also donated plasma 24 times since the pandemic broke.“I have been donating platelets every 15 days to cancer patients. I regularly donate blood at Chiranjeevi Blood bank and various private and government hospitals,” says he.
Before donating blood, he smoked and drank a day. After he started donating blood, he went cold turkey on all bad habits and moved towards a healthy lifestyle. “People must start donating blood every three months. There is a notable shortage of blood donors in Hyderabad. Besides, donating blood can help us stay active and fresh, as new red blood cells keep generating.”
He breaks the myth that donating blood can affect health adversely. “I have been donating blood for 23 years now, and I don’t see any negative impact. All I need is seven hours of sleep, and I am active for the next 17 hours,” the donor said. Sampath believes that blood donors have the purest intentions as he says, “The feeling of knowing that your blood is being used for something good is very satisfying,” he concludes.