Bengaluru: When Bhoopendran V walks into a blood bank on Wednesday, it will not be just another donation. The 59-year-old Bengalurean is set to donate blood for the 300th time, a rare milestone achieved after nearly four decades of quietly responding to the needs of strangers.The journey began in 1989, when Bhoopendran accompanied his father — a World War II veteran and freedom fighter — to Victoria Hospital for treatment. While waiting at the hospital, he often saw anxious families standing in long queues, desperately hoping to secure a unit of blood for their loved ones.Those scenes stayed with him.At a time when voluntary blood donation was beginning to replace paid donations, Bhoopendran decided to walk into a blood bank and donate for the first time the same year. “I realised blood has no substitute. Unless someone volunteers to donate, there is no way a patient can receive it,” he said.He never imagined that one decision would become a lifelong commitment. Over the past four decades, Bhoopendran has donated whole blood 68 times and Single Donor Platelets (SDP) around 230 times. He has travelled beyond Bengaluru to donate in cities such as Chennai, Mysuru, and Udupi, whenever he learnt of patients in need.For Bhoopendran, donating blood does not end when he leaves the blood bank. He makes it a point to call the patient’s family later to check on their condition. “That’s when I truly understand the value of blood donation. Blood banks can only provide blood if people come forward to donate,” he said.His journey has also inspired his wife, Sujatha, who will donate blood for the 63rd time Wednesday. Before their marriage, Bhoopendran had asked if she would support his commitment to blood donation. “Had she said no, I don’t think I could have continued this journey. She has been my backbone,” he said.The couple has now donated together more than 50 times, often sitting side by side at blood donation camps and hospitals across the country.Despite his work in the govt’s public distribution system, Bhoopendran says he has never hesitated to leave work whenever an emergency call for blood came. “I may lose a day’s income, but for someone else, it could help save a life,” he said.People often ask him the secret behind remaining fit enough to donate for nearly four decades. “There is no secret. I eat homemade food, get enough rest, stay away from stress and completely avoid junk food,” he said. “Every time I donate blood, fresh cells are generated and because of this, I have heightened resistance towards diseases. I’ve remained free of health issues, including diabetes and hypertension, because of my regular donation. I also think the happy hormones released when I donate have added to my wellness.”His 300th donation at Manipal Hospitals, Old Airport Road, will coincide with Doctors’ Day, which he says, makes the occasion even more meaningful. “We donate one unit of blood, but doctors are the ones who transform it into a life saved. This donation is dedicated to the medical fraternity,” he said.As he prepares to reach a milestone few donors achieve, Bhoopendran hopes more people will embrace voluntary blood donation.
