Last week saw a special Donor for Life Awards ceremony being held during which locals were honoured for their selfless sacrifice to save others.

The ceremony was held last Friday evening at the North Gate Lodge, south of Louis Trichardt, next to the N1.

“Honouring blood donors is a way of thanking them for giving a little bit of themselves,” said SANBS public relations practitioner Ms Dottie Pinn during the ceremony. “Every unit of blood donated saves a life. We at SANBS thank each and every donor on behalf of our patients, who are able to celebrate yet another birthday,” added Dottie.

Donors receiving awards in the 25 Club were Clive Chirandu, Andzani Hlongwane, Bafokeng Mpefa, Pfarelo Netsivhera, Jacobus Smit, Elizabeth Snyders and Albertus Wilkins.  

A total of 22 Igazi-Madi medals (50 units of blood donated) were awarded, namely to André Breytenbach, Wikus Burger, Schalk Corbett, Johan du Plessis, Anna Emmenis, Maxwell Hoare-Palmer, Thomas Janck, Hendrik Jooste, Marie Joubert, Marius Kruger, Jeffrey Kutama, Leon le Roux, Abel Lebidi, Tuwani Ndou, Andries Pretorius, Armand Smit, Jannie Sounes, Francois Steyn, Hendrik Terblanche, Wimpie van Aarde, Tanja Veldman and Hugh Went.  

Medals were also handed out in honour of those who had donated 75 units of blood. To donate this much blood can take a donor between 15 to 20 years to donate and touch as many as 225 lives. The awardees were Jacobus Burger, Jaco Crause, Francois du Preez, Jacobus Erasmus, Chris Groenewald, Stals Konig, Carel Smit, Susara Venter and Maria Wolwaardt.

Seven James Blundel medals were given to thank those donors who have donated 100 units of blood. They were Pierre du Preez, Sarah du Toit, Jennifer Joubert, Zacharias Nortjé, Jan Oberholzer, Thea Oosthuizen and Jan Wilkins.

The true heroes of the evening were the five donors who were awarded the Anthon Heyns Medal. They were Wouter Coetzer, Brian Kalshoven, Dirk Meissenheimer, Jan Oberholzer and Willie van Staden, who had all donated 150 units of blood.