India has 600 million young people and any death due to lack of blood is a matter of shame, says 43-year-old athlete Prakash M. Nadar. Like a soldier or a doctor or a well-wisher, this polio-afflicted man is a saviour for many. Nadar, a Marathi dwells in Mumbai and has donated blood 110 times so far. Wheel-chair bound hero is surely an inspiration to many.
On October 01, India celebrated the 43rd National Voluntary Blood Donation Day and the brave donor appeared again to donate his blood at the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences in Ranchi on Monday. This was his 110th time when he donated his blood. Aiming to donate his blood in every state of the country, he has succeeded in doing so in 17 states of India so far.
“I want my blood to race across my country. I say be positive and my blood group is B-positive. I have donated blood in 17 states of the country. I aim to donate blood in every state of the country,” said Prakash Nadar.
He religiously donates his blood once in three months that is four times a year. However, he had come to RIMS for the first time to donate blood. He has earned his name not only in ‘Blood Donation’. The B-positive donor has also made names athlete. He bagged 121 national and 10 international medals in swimming, powerlifting and athletics.
When asked about his fitness mantra he says, “I eat healthy. I eat home-cooked food and fruits.”
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Nadar is survived with a 70-year-old mother, M Balasundari who lives with him, 40-year-old wife Satya, and two teenage kids, Hariharan and Varshini. However, Nadar misses his father the most who had motivated him to donate blood but is no more with them. His father P Murgan passed away 20 years back.
“My father, P. Murgan, who died 20 years ago, motivated me to take up blood donation. I was still a teenager when he asked me if I would donate blood to an HIV-positive person,” he said.
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His face had lit up when was asked for a suggestion for the government to how to promote blood donation. He says –
“First, the government should make blood donation compulsory for youths and camps should be organised at every college at least four times in a year. Second, blood banks should have a donor database and call up donors after every three months on the lines of insurance agents who call for renewal premiums. Third, there should be a dedicated information system to help people know the status of blood at any bank the same way there is system of daily weather updates. Fourth, a blood collection mechanism should be in place to reach homes and offices of donors. India has 600 million young people. Any death due to lack of blood is a matter of shame.”
