Value Of A Life

Buzz..... Khushi’s mobile vibrated showing a new message. She picked up the mobile without breaking her glance from the textbook. After completing the para, pushing her specs back on her nose she finally looked on the mobile screen to read the sms.
“URGENT... PLEASE USE FREE MSG, FWD DIS 2 EVRYONE.... A BABY NEEDS B+VE BLOOD URGENTLY.....PLEASE INFORM EVERYONE..... OUR LITTLE HELP CAN SAVE THE CHILD. “
CONTACT NO: 9XXXXXXXXX, 98XXXXXXXX. OR HOSPITAL BLOOD BANK.
“Uff.... I’m sick of these messages, instead of sending msgs, they themselves can donate it... B+ve is such a common blood group yaar” irritatingly she told her roomie.
“Hmmmmm....... these are the ways to earn money. I’ve heard from seniors that blood bank staffs sell blood at high cost, after taking free of cost from donors” her roomie shweta informed.
“I dont know why they send these messages to us; common yaar... B+ve is the commonest blood group in India. Still our blood bank lacks, what kind of blood bank is it? Whenever a patient needs blood, someone from our hostel donates. What about patient’s relatives and blood bank store.” Khushi was really irritated. First of all she was disturbed by the message and secondly she felt pity on the child.
“Leave it off... let’s study... only two days are left for exams.....” shweta reminded her.
“Hmmmmm.... you are right... anyways i feel someone will donate. B+ve is very common.” Saying that Khushi once again immersed herself in those threatening diseases and their management.
Khushi belonged to upper middle class family. Her father was also a doctor and was a role model for her. Khushi had always wished to become a doctor preferably a paediatrician. So finally she was working hard on her dream.
In the evening, she took a break from studies and went downstairs to the hostel mess for refreshments. She was fond of coffee. The caffeine in it always relaxed her and relived the exam pressure. It was their university exams and she was really very tensed. And it was obvious for any student to get tensed, each and every sec was crucial.
“Hi mom!!!! She picked up the incoming call and replied.
“Hi sweetie... had your tea?”
“Yes... Just finished.... mom i wanted to ask you something” Khushi hesitatingly said.
“Hmmmmm... say”
“Mom can i donate blood? There is a baby who needs blood, and my blood group matches with her.... i want to.....
“NOOO... NO NEED... just study... dont think so much. Her mother scolded her as the way she had thought. She knew her mother very well. She was not selfish or anything like that but she was over protective.
“Okkkkkk..... Dont worry i knew you would say this. Dont worry mom. I think by this time she must have got the donor. Ok... now m going to study... bye mom... take care... Love you.” And she disconnected the call.
“Hey Khushi .... Wait!!!!!!!” one of her friend came running to her.
“Yaaa... what happened??? Everything ok???” she appeared tensed .
“Your blood group is B+ve Na???? Will you donate blood??” she asked. She was in welfare committee and was a volunteer.
“Why??? Dint she get any donor till now??” Khushi was amazed. She had thought that by this time blood transfusion must have been finished.
“No... She requires 6 units of blood, and we are unable to find a single donor. This is so awful....” and that feeling was visible from her face.
“Ok... I’ll come with you. Wait I’ll take some money and my identity card” Khushi immediately agreed. She thought for a fraction of seconds, her mind said no. But her heart was forcing her to go. She had exams after two days and she had never donated blood before. She was scared. She knew her mom will never support it. But she was feeling pity on the child. Deciding about everything in that fraction of sec, she agreed to go with her heart.
On the way she enquired about the child and it was such a co incidence that the child’s name was also Khushi. She was so amazed. She got to know that the girl was suffering from a congenital disease “Thalassemia”. And she was in i.c.u. her parents were very poor. Though hospital was just beside the hostel, Khushi felt as if the distance has increased overnight. Thousands of thoughts were striking her head. What if she became sick after donating blood? will her blood save the child’s life? How will they manage other donors? Many things were hammering her head. She knew that it was none of her business, but for the first time she felt that she should do something to save the girl. Her condition was serious.
Thalassemia; it’s generally rare in girls because generally for a girl to suffer from this disease, both of her parents should have that defective gene. That generally happens in consanguineous marriages. Mainly it’s a genetic disorder in the red blood cells, which causes their destruction. Patients suffer from lots and lots of complications which start just after birth depending upon the severity of the disease. There are almost 60-80 million people in world who suffer from it. And India shares a great part in it. In thalassemia major blood transfusion is needed every two months. Khushi knew all this.
“Khushi!!!!!!!” her friend shook her and brought her back to the reality. Khushi then realised that they have already reached the blood bank; and a poor man was just standing near them. He was the patient’s father. He looked pale and very sad.
Khushi tried to speak to him; but unfortunately he knew only the regional language, and Khushi dint know that. She felt so helpless, she wanted to speak to him but she couldn’t. She looked in his sad and hopeful eyes; they were thanking her silently for her help.
After few routine examinations, Khushi was made to lie down on the hospital bed. She was scared, but she dint let that appear from her face. She gave a weak smile to her friend; and as if she read Khushi’s mind; she stood beside Khushi and held her palm. Blood pressure cuff was tied to her left arm and pressure was raised to 40 mm hg, a soft ball was given to hold and to squeeze, in order to increase blood circulation. The needle was not the one which was regularly used for injections. It was a thick one. Khushi closed her eyes while the nurse Inserted the needle in her cubital area.
And then it started, the blood was being collected in the blood bag.
“Are you ok??” nurse enquired.
“Yes I’m fine” Khushi replied with a smile.
“Sister… why our blood bank is always empty? Whenever someone needs blood they have to search for a donor, this is so bad. What if someone needed blood urgently? What will they do?” Khushi finally asked the question which was bothering her since afternoon.
“It’s not like that dear… the problem is people don’t wish to donate, they only want. In other blood banks there is replacement technique; which means if you require blood you will have to replace it by giving blood which can be of any blood group. So that blood bank is always full, but people over here only demand. Generally they are high class people, they never replace. So finally we run short. And moreover we can only store it for 35 days max… that’s why these poor people need to search for donor.” Sister said in a sad tone.
“Hmmmmm… but sister B+ is common blood group; he must be knowing someone of the same blood group. Why did he come to us?” Khushi again asked. Now she was having slight pain in her arm. She felt as if something was being squeezed out of her.
Sister smiled to her question and said” look at him; doesn’t he appear pale. He must be anaemic. Poor people generally are malnourished. They themselves suffer from anaemia, how can they donate blood”
Khushi felt like a fool, she should have understood this. For donating blood person should be healthy, and he appeared so weak. Suddenly sister started removing the cuff and the needle.
“What happened!!!!!?” Khushi panicked.
“It’s over… take a rest for 5 mins then you can go… “Sister smiled and said.
“It’s over???? It hardly took ten mins. And can’t I donate one more unit??? She needs 6 units Na?? Khushi asked.
“No dear... we have to care about your health too. We can’t take more than one unit from a person at a time... don’t worry we will get someone kind like you “sister replied.
Khushi was satisfied yet not happy. Her instincts were telling her that no one will come. But she dint wanted to disappoint that helpless poor father.as soon as she came outside, the man brought two packs of frooty for both of them. She resisted taking it from the poor fellow. She hadn’t done that for any reason. She donated blood because she wished to help. But after so much of persuasion she finally had to take it. Sister told her to drink one as she must be feeling weak. But she was fine. She dint find any change except her arm was paining a bit. But to satisfy everyone she drank.
“Neha … I want to see the girl before leaving” Khushi asked her friend.
“Ya sure... come” she agreed.
They both went to i.c.u. there was a 3 yrs. old sweet unconscious girl. Her mother stood up immediately as the man indicated her that she is the donor for their child. The lady immediately folded her hands and greeted her. Khushi felt a bit awkward. She had done nothing. She just donated a little amount of blood. But Khushi dint know how much that mattered to the child’s parent. After spending few mins with the child Khushi returned back. She wanted to spend some more time but she had exams.
After coming back to hostel everyone appreciated her. She just smiled and started studying. Later at night she met Neha, and asked if she got any other donor. Neha said no. Khushi was very much disappointed. The cute face of the child was coming to her mind again and again.
Khushi immediately went to each and every room of the hostel requesting the B+ve people to donate blood. Out of 30 girls there was not a single one who was willing. Every one made excuses. Some had exams. Some had some diseases, few were weak and anaemic and few dint like donating. Khushi felt like slapping them. A child was dying and they dint even care. Have human beings become so mean and selfish? What if in future they went through such situation? Anyone can require blood. Khushi dint feel like speaking to anyone, not even to her mom.
Few days passed, she became busy in her exams. She forgot the incident. On the last day of her exam, she saw that man and his wife going out of the hospital. Khushi pushed every one aside and ran towards them. Neha followed her. Khushi greeted them and using tits and bits of the local language she enquired about little Khushi.
Immediately their eyes became wet. Khushi couldn’t understand, her mind was telling something which she dint want to accept. Finally Neha told her that Khushi died, after two days of her blood donation. They managed to get only two donors, and her case was very severe. Khushi was shocked. The lady was telling that she was their first child. She was weeping silently. Somehow the man consoled his wife. They both greeted Khushi and went.
For Khushi everything was numb. The sweet loving face of the child was appearing front of her. People are so mean. They took life of a small child. Her face was red in anger.
“Khushi… it’s ok... being a medico we will have to go through such situations. It’s good for them. Anyhow they couldn’t afford blood transfusion after every two months. Let’s go” Neha said. Khushi dint answer anything, she walked out silently.
Almost two Years passed… Khushi always donated blood regularly after that incident. One day she saw the same women in paediatrics ward. She inquired about her from sister.
“Her 2months old baby is suffering from thalassemia. They have come for blood transfusion. They are waiting for donors” sister told and went… this time khushi couldn’t donate as her blood group dint match. She wondered how many years will she survive. Who knows may be her life will also end up waiting for a donor just like her elder sister. Life is very cheap these days; more cheaper than having an afternoon nap….