{"id":52095,"date":"2023-06-12T06:00:34","date_gmt":"2023-06-12T04:00:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/the-difference-blood-donation-can-make-20230607-2\/"},"modified":"2025-03-21T15:16:25","modified_gmt":"2025-03-21T13:16:25","slug":"the-difference-blood-donation-can-make-20230607-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/the-difference-blood-donation-can-make-20230607-2\/","title":{"rendered":"The difference blood donation can make"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Thanks to somebody else\u2019s selfless act of donating blood, Ruwalda Swarts was able to receive the life saving blood transfusion she needed \u2013 just one example of how selfless this act of giving is. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In celebration of National Blood Donor Month, Weslander <\/span>spoke to several people on the issue<\/i>, and the Vredenburg resident told her tale of having to undergo a blood transfusion after the miscarriage of her first child. She said the procedure saved her life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Complications following her ordeal made Swarts lose so much blood over a period of three months. In and out of hospital, doctors recommended that Swarts go to Somerset Hospital, Cape Town to undergo a blood transfusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI have always wanted to donate blood, but my iron has always been too low,\u201d she said. \u201cThe fact that other people could donate blood and help me meant the world to me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So Swarts\u2019 deep gratitude to her blood donor also comes with a twinge of guilt over not being able to reciprocate. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Being a loyal blood donor since the age of 21 and having the blood type O positive, which is seen as the most needed blood type, Marlon Fredericks from Saldanha had the opportunity to save the life of a young man in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the Western Cape Blood Donation Services (WCBDS) having his contact details, Fredericks received the call about a 17-year-old boy in KZN who was in need of blood stem cells. He was told he was the perfect match. After the procedure was explained to him he made the decision to donate his blood-stem cells. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt was quite an experience,\u201d Fredericks related. \u201cArriving at the location they treat one like royalty. Although the process was a little painful it was all worth it knowing the donation was a success. I would gladly do it again.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said he always encourages those around him to donate. \u201cThere is a major blood shortage in our country. If in your means to donate, do it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over the years Fredericks has roughly donated 55 units of blood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Marike Carli, Public Relations Manager of the WCBDS, said blood cannot be manufactured in a factory and the service relies on voluntary blood donors to donate blood and save lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe have to collect 700 units of blood every day. That is why we always appeal to anyone who is able to donate blood.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n .<\/span> Requirements to donate blood: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Donors must be between the ages of 16 and 75, weigh 50 kg or more, be in good general health and lead a safe sexual lifestyle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is also recommended that donors should eat something within three to four hours before donation and increase their fluid intake before and after donation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n .<\/span> To find the nearest clinic, readers can visit the website ww.wcbs.org.za or send a Whatsapp to 060 549 7244.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Thanks to somebody else\u2019s selfless act of donating blood, Ruwalda Swarts was able to receive the life saving blood transfusion she needed \u2013 just one example of how selfless this act of giving is.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":52097,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_linkdex":"","_yoast_wpseo_content_score":"","_yoast_wpseo_inclusive_language_score":"","_yoast_wpseo_is_cornerstone":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image-id":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image-id":"","newspack_ads_suppress_ads":false,"newspack_sponsor_sponsorship_scope":"","newspack_sponsor_native_byline_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_native_category_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_style":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_placement":"inherit","_crsspst_to_novanewscoza":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozabloemnewsexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozacityvision":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozadistrictmailhelderberg":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaeikestadnuus":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozahermanustimes":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozakomani-karoo":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozakougaexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozamthathaexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozanoordkaapbulletin":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapaarlpost":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapeexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapeoplespost":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaswartlandgazette":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozatygerburger":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaudexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozavistanews":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozavrystaatkroon":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaweskusnuus":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaworcesterstandard":false,"_eb_attr":"","_EventAllDay":"","_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":"","_EventShowMapLink":"","_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":"","_EventVenueID":"","_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueState":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_VenueShowMap":"","_VenueShowMapLink":"","_application":"","_batch_id":"","_company_name":"","_company_tagline":"","_company_twitter":"","_company_video":"","_company_website":"","_custom_id":"7f55edd9-ddca-4c6b-85aa-217127357760","_EventDuration":"","_EventOrigin":"","_EventTimezoneAbbr":"","_featured":"","_filled":"","_job_expires":"","_job_location":"","_media_credit":"","_media_credit_url":"","_menu_item_menu_item_parent":"","_menu_item_object":"","_menu_item_object_id":"","_menu_item_target":"","_menu_item_type":"","_menu_item_url":"","_menu_item_xfn":"","_navis_media_can_distribute":"","_navis_media_credit_org":"","_OrganizerOrigin":"","_provider":"","_pum_built_in":"","_pum_default_theme":"","_pum_form_conversion_count":"","_remote_id":"","_remote_name":"","_remote_position":"","_report_frequency":"","_report_reference_dates":"","_send_attempts":"","_site_id":"","_sitemap_exclude":"","_sitemap_frequency":"","_sitemap_priority":"","_source_url":"","_subscription_period":"","_subscription_period_interval":"","_subscription_price":"","_tec_slr_enabled":"","_tec_slr_layout":"","_template_type":"","_ticket_end_date":"","_ticket_start_date":"","_tribe_aggregator_allow_multiple_organizers":"","_tribe_aggregator_content_type":"","_tribe_aggregator_file":"","_tribe_aggregator_finalized":"","_tribe_aggregator_hash":"","_tribe_aggregator_import_id":"","_tribe_aggregator_import_name":"","_tribe_aggregator_interactive":"","_tribe_aggregator_origin":"","_tribe_aggregator_post_status":"","_tribe_aggregator_preview":"","_tribe_aggregator_source_name":"","_tribe_aggregator_type":"","_tribe_default_ticket_provider":"","_tribe_hide_attendees_list":"","_tribe_rsvp_for_event":"","_tribe_ticket_capacity":"","_tribe_ticket_header":"","_tribe_ticket_show_description":"","_tribe_ticket_show_not_going":"","_tribe_ticket_version":"","_type":"","_VenueOrigin":"","_wp_attachment_context":"","_wp_attachment_image_alt":"","_wp_font_face_file":"","_wp_old_date":"","_yoast_wpseo_estimated-reading-time-minutes":"","_yoast_wpseo_focuskeywords":"","_yoast_wpseo_focuskw_text_input":"","_yoast_wpseo_keywordsynonyms":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_block-catalog":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_job_listing_type":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_nova_retailer":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_publication":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_tribe_events_cat":"","_yoast_wpseo_videositemap-duration":"","_yoast_wpseo_videositemap-rating":"","_menu_item_classes":[],"_tribe_modified_fields":[],"_wp_attachment_backup_sizes":[],"_wp_suggested_privacy_policy_content":[],"_yoast_post_redirect_info":[],"_yoast_wpseo_video_meta":[],"activation_date":"","archive_insertion_is_repeating":"","archive_insertion_posts_count":"","article_feature_media":"","article_feature_type":"","article_main_image_caption":"","article_media_icon":"","article_template":"","author_byline":"Noluvu Ludidi","background_color":"","block_editor":"","byline":"","cmplz_hide_cookiebanner":"","competition_end_date":"","contact_advertise_email":"","contact_advertise_phone":"","contact_editorial_email":"","contact_general_email":"","contact_general_phone":"","contact_office_hours":"","contact_physical_address":"","enabled":"","featured_image_custom_caption":"","featured_video_url":"","fields":"","font_body":"","font_header":"","frequency":"","headline":"","hide_border":"","icon":"","is_wp_suggestion":"","issuu_download_url":"","issuu_embed_url":"","language_version_url":"","large_border":"","name":"","nm_contact_name":"","nm_contact_number":"","nm_date_lost":"","no_overlay_background":"","node-url":"","obituary_born_date":"","obituary_died_date":"","obituary_memoriam_text":"","origin":"","overlay_color":"","overlay_opacity":"","overlay_size":"","placement":"","plural_label":"","post_author":"","post_id":"","post_language":"en","secret-key":"","sponsored_utm_campaign":"","sponsored_utm_content":"","sponsored_utm_medium":"","sponsored_utm_source":"","sponsored_utm_term":"","start_date":"","utm_suppression":"","video_embed_url":"","wp_pattern_sync_status":"","data_version":[],"enclosure":[],"pongrass_image":[],"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_newspack_byline_active":false,"_newspack_byline":"","newspack_content_restriction_is_exempt":false,"scaip_prevent_shortcode_addition":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"newspack_spnsrs_tax":[],"publication":[],"class_list":["post-52095","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\nThe difference blood donation can make | Weslander<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/the-difference-blood-donation-can-make-20230607-2\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The difference blood donation can make\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Thanks to somebody else\u2019s selfless act of donating blood, Ruwalda Swarts was able to receive the life saving blood transfusion she needed \u2013 just one example of how selfless this act of giving is.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/the-difference-blood-donation-can-make-20230607-2\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Weslander\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/weslander\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-06-12T04:00:34+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-03-21T13:16:25+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/36070b35b93b411abc27d0f3ee31cc2d.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1890\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1080\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Noluvu Ludidi\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Weslander\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/weslander\\\/the-difference-blood-donation-can-make-20230607-2\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/weslander\\\/the-difference-blood-donation-can-make-20230607-2\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Weslander\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/weslander\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/a4b49307d260a7144f84c7bd657be6c0\"},\"headline\":\"The difference blood donation can make\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-06-12T04:00:34+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-03-21T13:16:25+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/weslander\\\/the-difference-blood-donation-can-make-20230607-2\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":471,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/weslander\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/weslander\\\/the-difference-blood-donation-can-make-20230607-2\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/weslander\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/36070b35b93b411abc27d0f3ee31cc2d.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"News\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/weslander\\\/the-difference-blood-donation-can-make-20230607-2\\\/#respond\"]}],\"copyrightYear\":\"2023\",\"copyrightHolder\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/weslander\\\/#organization\"}},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/weslander\\\/the-difference-blood-donation-can-make-20230607-2\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/weslander\\\/the-difference-blood-donation-can-make-20230607-2\\\/\",\"name\":\"The difference blood donation can make | Weslander\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/weslander\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/weslander\\\/the-difference-blood-donation-can-make-20230607-2\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/weslander\\\/the-difference-blood-donation-can-make-20230607-2\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/weslander\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/36070b35b93b411abc27d0f3ee31cc2d.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-06-12T04:00:34+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-03-21T13:16:25+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/weslander\\\/the-difference-blood-donation-can-make-20230607-2\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/weslander\\\/the-difference-blood-donation-can-make-20230607-2\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/weslander\\\/the-difference-blood-donation-can-make-20230607-2\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/weslander\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/36070b35b93b411abc27d0f3ee31cc2d.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/weslander\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/36070b35b93b411abc27d0f3ee31cc2d.jpg\",\"width\":1890,\"height\":1080,\"caption\":\"By donating blood you can make a difference in the life of someone else.Photo:\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/weslander\\\/the-difference-blood-donation-can-make-20230607-2\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/weslander\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"News\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/weslander\\\/news\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"The difference blood donation can make\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/weslander\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/weslander\\\/\",\"name\":\"Weslander\",\"description\":\"To Inform, Engage and Empower Local Communities\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/weslander\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/weslander\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/weslander\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Weslander\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/weslander\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/weslander\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/weslander\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/weslander-site-icon-1.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/weslander\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/weslander-site-icon-1.png\",\"width\":512,\"height\":512,\"caption\":\"Weslander\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/weslander\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/weslander\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/weslander_koerant\\\/\"],\"description\":\"Weslander has been the main source of reliable news for the West Coast (Weskus) for 53 years, earning the trust of generations of readers. With a strong community focus, the newspaper serves as a vital link between residents, local businesses, and public services. It\u2019s a go-to platform for hyper-local stories \u2014 the kind of news that often goes unnoticed by national outlets but plays a crucial role in everyday life. From school achievements and local heroes to municipal matters and regional developments, Weslander provides a voice to smaller communities, helping to connect people, raise awareness, and highlight the issues that matter most to them.\",\"email\":\"weslander@novusmedia.co.za\",\"telephone\":\"022 713 1251\",\"legalName\":\"Novus Media (Pty) Ltd\",\"foundingDate\":\"2025-01-01\",\"vatID\":\"4100318916\",\"taxID\":\"2000\\\/018234\\\/07\",\"numberOfEmployees\":{\"@type\":\"QuantitativeValue\",\"minValue\":\"51\",\"maxValue\":\"200\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/weslander\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/a4b49307d260a7144f84c7bd657be6c0\",\"name\":\"Weslander\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/73d58dc64ef5e44cd2a7e99a0d5e29dc10e9039a24e82e731a9d9f100c17504a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/73d58dc64ef5e44cd2a7e99a0d5e29dc10e9039a24e82e731a9d9f100c17504a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/73d58dc64ef5e44cd2a7e99a0d5e29dc10e9039a24e82e731a9d9f100c17504a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Weslander\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/weslander\\\/author\\\/weslander\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"The difference blood donation can make | Weslander","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/the-difference-blood-donation-can-make-20230607-2\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"The difference blood donation can make","og_description":"Thanks to somebody else\u2019s selfless act of donating blood, Ruwalda Swarts was able to receive the life saving blood transfusion she needed \u2013 just one example of how selfless this act of giving is.","og_url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/the-difference-blood-donation-can-make-20230607-2\/","og_site_name":"Weslander","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/weslander\/","article_published_time":"2023-06-12T04:00:34+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-03-21T13:16:25+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1890,"height":1080,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/36070b35b93b411abc27d0f3ee31cc2d.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Noluvu Ludidi","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Weslander","Est. reading time":"2 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/the-difference-blood-donation-can-make-20230607-2\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/the-difference-blood-donation-can-make-20230607-2\/"},"author":{"name":"Weslander","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/#\/schema\/person\/a4b49307d260a7144f84c7bd657be6c0"},"headline":"The difference blood donation can make","datePublished":"2023-06-12T04:00:34+00:00","dateModified":"2025-03-21T13:16:25+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/the-difference-blood-donation-can-make-20230607-2\/"},"wordCount":471,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/the-difference-blood-donation-can-make-20230607-2\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/36070b35b93b411abc27d0f3ee31cc2d.jpg","articleSection":["News"],"inLanguage":"en-ZA","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/the-difference-blood-donation-can-make-20230607-2\/#respond"]}],"copyrightYear":"2023","copyrightHolder":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/#organization"}},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/the-difference-blood-donation-can-make-20230607-2\/","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/the-difference-blood-donation-can-make-20230607-2\/","name":"The difference blood donation can make | Weslander","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/the-difference-blood-donation-can-make-20230607-2\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/the-difference-blood-donation-can-make-20230607-2\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/36070b35b93b411abc27d0f3ee31cc2d.jpg","datePublished":"2023-06-12T04:00:34+00:00","dateModified":"2025-03-21T13:16:25+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/the-difference-blood-donation-can-make-20230607-2\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-ZA","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/the-difference-blood-donation-can-make-20230607-2\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/the-difference-blood-donation-can-make-20230607-2\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/36070b35b93b411abc27d0f3ee31cc2d.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/36070b35b93b411abc27d0f3ee31cc2d.jpg","width":1890,"height":1080,"caption":"By donating blood you can make a difference in the life of someone else.Photo:"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/the-difference-blood-donation-can-make-20230607-2\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"News","item":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/news\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"The difference blood donation can make"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/#website","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/","name":"Weslander","description":"To Inform, Engage and Empower Local Communities","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-ZA"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/#organization","name":"Weslander","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/weslander-site-icon-1.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/weslander-site-icon-1.png","width":512,"height":512,"caption":"Weslander"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/weslander\/","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/weslander_koerant\/"],"description":"Weslander has been the main source of reliable news for the West Coast (Weskus) for 53 years, earning the trust of generations of readers. With a strong community focus, the newspaper serves as a vital link between residents, local businesses, and public services. It\u2019s a go-to platform for hyper-local stories \u2014 the kind of news that often goes unnoticed by national outlets but plays a crucial role in everyday life. From school achievements and local heroes to municipal matters and regional developments, Weslander provides a voice to smaller communities, helping to connect people, raise awareness, and highlight the issues that matter most to them.","email":"weslander@novusmedia.co.za","telephone":"022 713 1251","legalName":"Novus Media (Pty) Ltd","foundingDate":"2025-01-01","vatID":"4100318916","taxID":"2000\/018234\/07","numberOfEmployees":{"@type":"QuantitativeValue","minValue":"51","maxValue":"200"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/#\/schema\/person\/a4b49307d260a7144f84c7bd657be6c0","name":"Weslander","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/73d58dc64ef5e44cd2a7e99a0d5e29dc10e9039a24e82e731a9d9f100c17504a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/73d58dc64ef5e44cd2a7e99a0d5e29dc10e9039a24e82e731a9d9f100c17504a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/73d58dc64ef5e44cd2a7e99a0d5e29dc10e9039a24e82e731a9d9f100c17504a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Weslander"},"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/author\/weslander\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/36070b35b93b411abc27d0f3ee31cc2d.jpg","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":49274,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/blood-donation-dos-and-donts-20231108-3\/","url_meta":{"origin":52095,"position":0},"title":"Blood donation: Do\u2019s and don\u2019ts","author":"Weslander","date":"1 December 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Blood donation is a selfless act that has the potential to save lives and contribute to the well-being of countless individuals.","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/7de947b1285e4747ba721e8907e39eb2.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/7de947b1285e4747ba721e8907e39eb2.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/7de947b1285e4747ba721e8907e39eb2.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/7de947b1285e4747ba721e8907e39eb2.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/7de947b1285e4747ba721e8907e39eb2.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":49604,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/blood-donation-dos-and-donts-20231108-4\/","url_meta":{"origin":52095,"position":1},"title":"Blood donation: Do\u2019s and don\u2019ts","author":"Weslander","date":"13 November 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Blood donation is a selfless act that has the potential to save lives and contribute to the well-being of countless individuals.","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/4c7efb8b17cc4bb0b2a578e247fc2725.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/4c7efb8b17cc4bb0b2a578e247fc2725.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/4c7efb8b17cc4bb0b2a578e247fc2725.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/4c7efb8b17cc4bb0b2a578e247fc2725.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/4c7efb8b17cc4bb0b2a578e247fc2725.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":53347,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/sanbs-launches-smart-blood-fridge-20230308-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":52095,"position":2},"title":"SANBS Launches Smart Blood Fridge","author":"Weslander","date":"13 March 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"The South African National Blood Services (SANBS) has launched a smart fridge aimed at reducing turnaround times for patients to receive blood in rural areas.","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/a23592f11b6a433d9aac0d7c035aa84f.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/a23592f11b6a433d9aac0d7c035aa84f.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/a23592f11b6a433d9aac0d7c035aa84f.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":53156,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/make-it-possible-for-all-in-sa-to-exercise-their-right-to-receive-healthy-blood-20230321-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":52095,"position":3},"title":"Make it possible for all in SA to exercise their right to receive healthy blood","author":"Weslander","date":"27 March 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Human Rights Day, marked annually on 21 March, is a national observation and proclamation of the rights enjoyed in South Africa. This iconic day is a reminder of the price that was paid for such rights.","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":50997,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/please-donate-blood-as-the-general-supply-dwindles-20230808-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":52095,"position":4},"title":"Please donate blood as the general supply dwindles","author":"Weslander","date":"14 August 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"The Western Cape Blood Service (WCBS) is appealing to the public to donate blood as the blood supply is under severe pressure. \u201cAs we head into day 3 of the ongoing taxi strike our blood stocks are negatively affected,\u201d says Marike Carli, Public Rela","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":52995,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/blood-bank-has-only-three-days-supply-left-please-donate-blood-now-20230403-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":52095,"position":5},"title":"Blood bank has only three days\u2019 supply left. Please donate blood now","author":"Weslander","date":"10 April 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"The Western Cape Blood Service (WCBS) is experiencing a blood shortage in the O- blood group, as there is only three days\u2019 blood supply. Other blood groups that are experiencing a shortage are A+, B+ and B- blood groups. The service is appealing to a","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Weslander","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52095","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/20"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=52095"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52095\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/52097"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=52095"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=52095"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=52095"},{"taxonomy":"newspack_spnsrs_tax","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/newspack_spnsrs_tax?post=52095"},{"taxonomy":"publication","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/weslander\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/publication?post=52095"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}