Letters - 12 April 2013
From giving blood to Meeting online
Blood and flesh
The NHS Blood and Transplant service is currently coordinating an appeal to members of different denominations to donate blood and to agree to donate organs after their death. When I heard about it, I enquired why Quakers were not included in this appeal and was told Friends House was approached but felt it not appropriate to be included in this programme.
I regret that we declined to participate and hope that all Friends will give the appeal their careful consideration. There are further details on www.fleshandblood.org.
It is reported that ten per cent of churchgoers have given blood in the past year, compared with four per cent of the general population. The number of Christians on the organ donor register is also much higher than the proportion of the population as a whole. It is good to know that many us include such donations as part of our contribution to community life.
Such life-saving, or life-enhancing, donations are considered by some people as part of their approach to giving and stewardship, even though the subject is very rarely ever mentioned. It is surprising that this is so, even in churches where their church hall is used for donor sessions.
I have been a blood donor for fifty-five years and would like to see the practice encouraged through our Meetings.
I would also like to commend to Friends the practice of donating our bodies after death for medical training and/or research. Details are available from The Human Tissue Authority at www.hta.gov.uk.
Michael Wright
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