Who needs blood?

Assalam-u-Alaikum Folks,


I was just visiting the Canadian Blood Services website, and I came across an interesting diagram that shows how much units of blood is required by various operations. Keep in mind that there is an increase in the diagnoses of Cancer amongst Canadians every year. So take a look....


For more information you can check out the CBS website at: http://www.blood.ca

The start of something good inshAllah

Assalam-u-Alaikum Wrb

If you are reading this...chances are that you are wanting to make a difference in your community/city by helping those that are in need. If you are part of an Islamic Organization, then you must have experienced the difficulty in getting involved with the general population and finding ways that you may be able to assist them in a very dynamic, yet vital way. As a Muslim being part of a diverse community, it sometimes becomes difficult to help those that need help, especially if their lives are hanging in the balance.

Blood. That is the answer, the need for many people in our community. There is always a considerable shortage of blood supplies in hospitals. Patients who are going under severe surgery or have suffered massive blood loss require several pints of blood. So as Muslims, shouldn't we be helping those who need it? We all know the verse in the Quran, where Allah says, “… and if any one saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of all mankind.” (Al-Ma'dah: 32)

If the reward is so immense of saving just one life, why aren't we donating blood vigorously? Hmm.. maybe its because it requires a lot of sacrifice of time and effort? Well lets see, I asked one of the regular donors in the city of Toronto, and he had this to say...

"Donating blood barely takes an hour of your time, there is absolutely no effort required on your part besides getting to the blood clinic. All you do once your there is drink juice and eat cookies, answer a few questions, and let them take a pint (450 mL) of your blood. It doesn't hurt, and its absolutely safe. By the end of it all you feel a great sense of accomplishment, that you helped save some one's life, someone who has a family...whose loved ones are praying that he/she gets better. So why wouldn't I donate blood? It seems like the most logical thing to do. In the end look at it this way, you get the reward of saving the whole of humanity by just sitting in a chair... now that's spectacular!"

Okay, so that excuse goes out the window. Hmm so there really doesn't seem to be any excuse as to why us Muslims aren't donating blood, besides the fact that if some of us are medically unable to. But still even then you could help by raising awareness amongst the community that there is a dire need for donors.

Blood Vessels Canada (BVC) as such was born with the idea to create a cohesive network within the Muslim Community, that aims at managing, organizing, and facilitating the collection of blood donors. No matter what Islamic organization/business you are part of, if you have a desire to help out your community by donating blood as one Muslim body then you've come to the right place. Blood Vessels Canada aims to provide a more systematic way of donating blood, that is regular and consistent. There are many organizations that donate blood, however the problem that arises with many of them is that there are not enough donors and it isn't done consistently enough. BVC would try to provide a service for the Muslim Community that would create a database of donors and provide the ability to book appointments with the Canadian Blood Services (CBS) in a more consistent and organized way that would prove to be a great form of Da'wah and beneficial for the whole community in general.

(Please note that the creation of BVC is not to replace any organization's existing blood donation strategy, but hoping to provide a more unified approach in gathering together to donate blood no matter what organization you may belong to. Even then, being part of the BVC database still gives anyone the ability to donate as a member of their particular organization. BVC is not an organization or a member-based group. It is simply an administrative service that hopes to provide CBS with a greater Muslim Donor Representation that is consistent and well organized.)

I would therefore like to welcome you to the home of Blood Vessels Canada, which hopes to provide one of many ways of helping the local communities. You are encouraged to participate and provide feedback whenever you see fit, as this is a group effort and cannot be done by just one individual. If you would like to be added to the list of Muslim donors, please email us at donatebvc@gmail.com, Jazakallah Khairun. May Allah Guide us to the straight path and help us to keep our intentions pure, and reward us for the effort that we might put in.

Welcome once again!