Young and Catholic people donated blood for saving life

A Catholic girl who donation her blood

On 7 February, young people—most of them Catholic—donated blood in a National Blood Transfusion Center program which took place at the Child Jesus Church in the Boeung Tom Pun area of Phnom Penh.
At 8:00 AM in the morning a van from NBTC arrived at the church to receive the blood donations which will be used to help poor patients in Phnom Penh hospitals.  About 20 persons donated blood, most of them young people from 17-20 years old.

Speaking about the patients in the hospitals, Ms. Paola Maiocchi, the coordinator of the Phnom Penh diocese’s Health Pastoral Committee, said: “Don’t think that they are not our relatives and that we don’t need to help them.  The patients in the hospitals are our brothers and sisters.”

Ms. Maiocchi, an Italian lay missionary with PIME, added that it is time to educate the Catholic people to create a new society through charitable works done because of their belief in Christ.  “What we are doing today is a small thing, just spending a short time to donate 300 ml of blood.”

Before mass started at the church at 9:00 AM, Eng Sany, 28, a novice of the Providence Sisters, told a UCAN reporter “I am happy to make a blood donation because I want to do what I can to help the poor.  In some cases, the people who need blood in an emergency don’t have anyone to help them.  This is a real work of charity.”

Lying on a bed in the NBTC van, she noted that donating blood does not cause her any health problems.  “This is my third time to donate blood here at the church,” she said.

Another donor was Veth Phallin, 20, a Buddhist girl who came to the parish to give blood for the first time.   While eating a snack after donating, she laughed a little and said “I was afraid, trembling a little, but I think my blood can help others to survive.  I don’t expect anything from my donation but only want to give.”

Another donor, Mr. Hom Touer, 28, a youth leader of the Phnom Penh diocese, said “We are the Body of Christ.  Giving blood is like giving life to people.  You can’t buy or sell blood in the markets, and it’s not easy to get.  The importance of the blood is tremendous.  I do this work of charity from the bottom of my heart and am happy and hopeful that the patient can live.”