Line of sharing life, proceeded with the mind of a mother, gives new hope to patients
Small concerts are often held for patients and visitors at the “Piano Lounge” located in the basement of Geonguk University Hospital in Hwayang-dong, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul. It is located in the middle of the building, and it can be seen even from stairs and hallways of the 1st and 2nd floors, and people can rest in a comfortable atmosphere as they see the sky through the glass roof.
On August 30, Monday, when the heat of summer was still severe, a special event was held at this place and attracted people’s attention. This day, a blood drive, which had been held by the Intl. WeLoveU Foundation since 2004 in main cities, was also held by Seoul branch. This was held to provide healthy blood to emergency patients who need blood because of injuries from accidents or intractable diseases, and also to people who have financial problems. Another reason the event was held was to raise people’s interest in donating blood. Geonguk University Hospital (Head Baek Nam-seon) and Seoul East Blood Center of Korea Red Cross (Head Seo Joon-seok) supported the Intl. WeLoveU Foundation by providing the place and a medical team of about 30 members.
At the lounge, 22 beds were set for the donors, and two blood donation buses were placed outside the emergency rooms on the first floor, so a total of 30 beds were provided. As so many members arrived from early in the morning, the blood drive began before 10 a.m., which was the time when the event was supposed to begin.
This day, the blood drive was attended by about 1,000 people, mainly by the WeLoveU members in Gahngbuk area of Seoul including house wives, university students and office workers, and also by visitors and workers of the hospital. Because the line of the members who wanted to donate their blood was long, it took about one or two hours for each person to finish the checkups and donate their blood, but everybody waited patiently in good order. When there were some office workers who did not have much time because they had to go back to work, other members kindly yielded their turns to them.
The directors including Chairwoman Zahng Gil-jah, Sponsor Chairman Lee Sun-jae, PR Ambassador Kim Seong-hwan and Chief Director Lee Gang-min of the Intl. WeLoveU Foundation visited the event place at about 2 p.m. and encouraged the donors.
“Thank you for doing this good work. You have saved a life. Take care.”
As the WeLoveU Chairwoman encourages the members, holding their hands with the words of blessing, they all smiled just like children who are complimented by their mothers for doing a good thing.
The WeLoveU Foundation Sponsor Chairman Lee Sun-jae, who is a popularity of the TV personality, and the Foundation PR Ambassador Kim Seong-hwan promoted the blood drive to the members and the people around them. PR Ambassador Kim Seong-hwan expressed thankes the participants and said, “Even though people know how important blood donation is, they hesitate to donate their blood, being lacking in courage. So, I did not even imagine that these many people would participate in the blood drive today. Your blood donation will be a great help to patients.”
The head of Geongook University Hospital Baek Nam-seon showed his will to help the Foundation in helping patients in need, saying, “I didn’t imagine that this many people would volunteer to help others. I’m very moved. They look like angels even though they don’t have wings.” Professor Song Myeong-geun, a cardiothoracic surgeon, also thanked the members for volunteering to donate their blood despite the hot weather and said, “The precious blood you have donated will give life to patients who need surgery and injured by accidents. Please think that you can save your family and neighbors when you donate your blood.”
How the medics take care of their patients like their own family was the same as how the WeLoveU members feel about the patients. WeLoveU members, who have always been willing to help their neighbors, said, “I felt like patients were my own family when I thought about how eager their families must have been when their surgeries are delayed due to the lack of blood.” About 70% of the donors were married women who have children. They wished the patients, who will receive their blood, to get a new life and live healthy and happily, saying, “As we raise our children, we can feel how precious life is.”
The blood drive by Seoul branch was held in an open place to inform citizens of the importance of blood donation so that more people will join it. It was planned to end at 4 p.m., but due to positive response of the Foundation members and citizens, it ended after 5 o’clock. Even the hospital staff participated in the blood donation, and some guardians of patients and visitors asked questions about the event. A middle-aged woman gave two sheets of blood donation certificates that were left to her after the surgery of her daughter who is a university student. She said that she barely persuaded her daughter, who had been hospitalized for months because of blood poisoning, not to donate her blood. And a woman ran to the checkup room with her child to donate her blood because her child kept asking her to do it too. Like this, we saw many touching moments that day.
This day, 440 people were able to donate their blood, and more than 440 sheets of blood donation certificates were collected. When the blood donation was about to end, a worker of the hospital said, “I didn’t think the event would be in such good order and beautiful. They look different now.” Another worker said, “Before, usually men donated their blood because they were brave, but today I saw many women donating their blood. Mothers, who have given birth to their babies, are really different. Indeed, mothers are brave and strong.”
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