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Despite the cancellations, delays and disruptions that COVID-19 brought upon the Blood Bank of Hawaii in its mission to collect blood for all the hospitals in Hawaii, I finally accomplished my goal of donating two pints of blood for every year that I lived until age 80.
On Nov. 29, my donations reached 160 pints or 20 gallons.
I have been truly blessed to be healthy enough over the past 30-plus years to share my good fortune in helping 480 patients who needed the gift of life. (Each pint of blood is separated into three components: plasma, red blood cells and platelet for three different patients.)
With COVID-19 and its variants actively striking countless number of people in Hawaii who urgently need the precious gift of life, and with the decrease in blood donations, the Blood Bank of Hawaii is desperately looking for more blood donors.
I urge every healthy individual to seriously consider becoming a blood donor.
You'll never regret it. It's the greatest feeling that one could have in helping save the lives of three individuals by donating a pint of blood. It will cost you nothing but an hour of your time. Because of the urgent need for blood donors, I have decided to continue donating my blood for as long as I am able to do it.
William T. Kinaka
Wailuku