20-year journey of blood donation of Ms. Le Thi My Thu

Over the past 20 years, Ms. Le Thi My Thu (57 years old, in Phuoc Thoi ward, Can Tho city) has donated blood to save people nearly 40 times. Recently, Ms. Thu received a precious gift for her noble contribution to the community: she was invited to Hanoi to attend the ceremony to honor outstanding blood donors nationwide in 2025, organized by the Ministry of Health and the Central Committee of the Vietnam Red Cross Society in coordination with other organizations.

The trip has passed, but until now, Ms. Thu said she is still filled with happiness. It was the first time in her life that she had been on a plane, and also the first time she had been to the capital. And the greatest joy was that she had attended an important event, was honored, and awarded for her contributions as well as those of those who shared the same wish to donate blood to save lives. On this occasion, Ms. Thu was also taken by the Organizing Committee to visit many famous places and historical sites in Hanoi .

Ms. Thu was honored as a typical national voluntary blood donor in 2025. Photo: NVCC

Ms. Thu said that it has been 20 years since she started donating blood. She still remembers the feeling of nervousness during her first blood donation. But then, she became calmer, more confident and every year she regularly donates blood 1-2 times, except when she is suddenly busy. With the desire to donate blood to save people, Ms. Thu pays attention to maintaining her health so that she can be ready to donate blood regularly or when a patient needs it. She said that perhaps thanks to regularly donating blood along with the spiritual joy from helping others, she has had stable health, is happier, healthier, and more agile than when she is nearly 60 years old. After each blood donation, Ms. Thu is given a certificate and she takes it home to keep it carefully.

Ms. Thu confided, “Somewhere, at some time, there are sick people who urgently need blood to continue their lives. Thinking like that, I see how noble blood donation is. The certificates are like beautiful memories, reminding me of the love for the community.” Ms. Thu believes that as long as she is healthy, she will continue to donate blood.

From regularly donating blood to recently going to Hanoi to receive an award, Ms. Thu has become an “event character” of her family and neighbors. In fact, Ms. Thu’s sons, daughters and grandchildren have joined her in voluntary blood donation many times. As the head of the Women’s Association of the area and in many other concurrent roles, such as head of the loan group, population collaborator; Ms. Thu regularly promotes the benefits of blood donation to local people and encourages everyone to donate blood. Since then, many women have joined the “blood donation team” with Ms. Thu, together lighting the fire of charity in the community.

Recently, information about the current situation of blood shortage, not enough to meet the needs of emergency treatment for patients in the Mekong Delta, made Ms. Thu worried. She followed the news and social networks of the Red Cross Society, Can Tho City Hematology and Blood Transfusion Hospital, and saw that the association's officials and doctors continuously called on the community to participate in blood donation. Because, Can Tho City Hematology and Blood Transfusion Hospital has a blood bank, responsible for supplying blood to nearly 80 medical facilities in the region. Although the hospital has made efforts to implement many solutions, trying not to fall into a passive position, the blood reserve at the unit is decreasing sharply, directly affecting the lives of patients not only in Can Tho City but also the whole region. Therefore, as a local official and a regular blood donor, Ms. Thu called on the community to donate blood together, because each unit of blood donated at this time has a vital meaning for each life.

AUTUMN DEW

Source: https://baocantho.com.vn/hanh-trinh-20-nam-hien-mau-cua-co-le-thi-my-thu-a189807.html