Blood Beat
Transcription
Blood Beat
BLOOD BEAT Issue 4 | www.sanbs.org.za what happens to your blood donation? eat right for your blood type A donor’s guide to haemoglobin Meet Misisizwe Khoza donate BLOOD Donate a LIFEtime If you have any q ues ti on s, comments o r o p i ni o n s on bl ood donati o n, p l ease su bm i t th em to: TEAM COVER THE EDITOR DESIGN Marketing & Communications Division SANBS Private Bag X14 Weltevreden Park 1715 Relative | An offspring of Roering Creative Kin www.rck.co.za | [email protected] www.sanbs.org.za [email protected] Toll free no.: 0800 11 9031 CONTRIBUTORS Ludwe Matanzima Silungile Mlambo Anna Raselomane Karin van den Berg Rethubile Melato Sifiso Khoza Natalie Booysen Nina van Wyk Bronwyn Peterson William Gallacher PRINTED BY Thrift Productions | An offspring of Roering Creative KIn The mission of the South African National Blood Service is to provide all patients with sufficient, safe, quality blood products and medical services related to blood transfusion in an equitable and cost-effective manner. SANBS is a not-for-profit organisation and receives no funding from government or other private organisations. SANBS has 27 branches and 80 collection sites. SANBS manages the blood supply and provides products and services to South African patients in all provinces except the Western Cape. BLOOD BEAT is published for donors by the South African National Blood Service (SANBS). All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the written permission of the Editor. While every effort has been taken in the production of this publication, the Publisher, Editor and Contributors accept no responsibility for any omissions or errors. EXTRAORDINARY STORIES F ROM DONORS AND RECIPI ENTS CONTENTS Feature articles Health News 07 | Insider: Meet Misisizwe Khoza 09 | Managing Diabetes 13 | SANBS Iron study Donors guide to Haemoglobin 11 | What is Haemoglobin Regulars 19 | Because anybody can: DIY 15 uses of toothpaste 01 | Message from the CEO 13 | Donor feedback 03 | Editor’s note On The Calendar 04 | Letter to the editor 02 | Count down to the New Year 05 | Milestone achievers 25 | Events 06 | What happens to your blood donation Cuisine 21 | In the zones 27 | Competition winners 15 | Cooking up a storm Fun page 26 | Crossword puzzle from the CEO ...it is heart warming to experience the totally unselfish actions of regular South Africans. As the new CEO of SANBS, I have been amazed by the quality of our people and I know that there may be challenges sometimes but I want to assure you that we are privileged to be a part of an organization whose sole focus is saving our fellow South African’s lives. Saving lives is impossible without you our loyal donors. I have spent my first few months having visited a number of donor and mobile centres, it is heart warming to experience the totally unselfish actions of regular South Africans. Thanks you all. I come to you from a corporate environment, with many, many years of interacting with customers and staff alike. I am married to a loving wife with 28 year old twin boys all of whom have truly enriched my life. I want to encourage you to email us on [email protected] to share your thoughts on anything related to our service and how we can improve, or take advantage of our Customer Feedback System at the donation site. It is only with feedback that we can improve ourselves. 1 Once again thank you all for your total commitment to SANBS and I hope to see you in one of our collection points in the future. Until later... Regards Trevor Count down to the Whether you want to lose weight, stop smoking, or accomplish another goal, unfortunately, many of these resolutions are forgotten by March. A major reason for this is that it’s deceptively difficult to develop or deny ingrained habits. While the effort to adopt resolution shows a wonderful sense of positive intent, a better alternative is to develop new goals for the future. Goals are a better plan than resolutions for a few key reasons: Rigid vs. Fluid: Resolutions stay the same: “I will go to bed by 10pm.” “I will stop eating junk.” “I will go to the gym five times a week.” If these are somewhat big changes, it may feel like a huge change with no build up. Goals, however, can be tackled in steps, beginning with baby steps and increasing in difficulty as you become more accustomed to the change. This makes goals more realistic for lasting change. Sense of Accomplishment vs. Sense of Failure: on the right track, which will, in turn, keep you moving in the right direction. Once you’ve broken a rigid resolution, however, it’s easier to feel like a failure and give up. Think in terms of broad The Scope of the Change: For instance, resolving to “Develop A Stress Management Practice” gives more room for growth and change than “Do Yoga Every Morning”. While you’ll want to put your broad goals into specific behaviours, deciding to Develop a Stress Management Practice gives you room to experiment, and allows you to change course if you find that Yoga isn’t working for you. Resolutions are usually a means to a goal, but if you find a resolution too difficult to stick to, it’s usually dropped and forgotten. With goals, if you find a planned change too difficult to carry out, you can drop that plan, but pick a different new behaviour to try that will still lead to the same end result, and not lose sight of the goal. For example, imagine you want to get in the habit of exercising to be in better shape. You might make a resolution to go to the gym five times a week. But if you find that you just hate the gym, you probably won’t stick to your resolution, and you’ll be no closer to your goal. However, if you make ‘getting more exercise’ the goal, you may drop the gym, but switch to walking through your neighbourhood each morning, and still meet your goal. Now that you know some of why resolutions often fail and goals are a more realistic route, here are some tips for setting goals you can get behind: Keep your future in mind. Think of what you would have in your ideal life, and where you’d like to be in two, five, or even ten years, and see if your goals bring you closer to that picture. If so, they’re good goals to stick with. If you can keep in your mind the image of where you would ultimately like your goals to take you, it’s easier to stick with them. Goals give you a direction to aspire to, but with the baby steps you may be taking toward your goal, you can still feel like you’ve accomplished something and are 2 changes rather than specific behaviours Think in terms of what you’d like to add to your life, rather than what you’d like to take away. For example, instead of making the goal to “Eat Less Unhealthy Food”, focus on trying to“Eat More Healthy Food”. You may subconsciously feel more deprived if you think of taking something away rather than adding something good, and if you replace unhealthy food in your diet with healthy food, the same goal is accomplished. Also, it’s usually easier to add a behaviour than to stop a behaviour. Once you have your goals set, keep them in the forefront of your mind. Keep them listed in your day-planner, have them as part of your screen saver, or post-it them in prominent places around your house for a while. Reward yourself with something small for continuing to stick with it, until you make enough progress toward your goals that the progress becomes its own reward. And remember that change doesn’t come overnight, but as you work toward developing what is important to you, the change will come, and it will be lasting. Remember this, and enjoy building the life you were meant to live! Source: pittsburgh.about.com It’s that time of the year again, when we make resolutions of things we wish to change in the new year. the Editor It is with great excitement that I introduce the newly revamped magazine to you. “Out with old and in with the new” is the approach we are taking this year. We have changed the “look and feel”, bringing a fresh lifestyle feel. The end of another year is here, and as we celebrate this holiday season we reflect back on what a great year it has been. With blood stock levels fluctuating up and down - we have weathered the storms. A big thank you to all our donors for keeping us afloat, the need for blood never stops. In this issue we will also be keeping you abreast of industry news. We also honour donors who have reached milestones, review books and give you a countdown to the holidays. This is also an exciting year for SANBS, as we welcome our new CEO Mr Trevor Vroom and look forward to an exciting future under his leadership. As we look forward to the festive season, let us remember to be safe on the roads. Enjoy the read! Write to us at [email protected] and stand a chance to win a personalised SANBS hamper, which includes a cup with your name and blood type, a t-shirt and cap with your blood type and a notebook. “Out wi th the old and in w it h t h e n ew ” i s th e a pproach we’re takin g t h is y ear 3 TO the editor Why I d on ate by Th oma s L a a s : Our world is diverse and full of uniqueness. Yet there is one thing common among all of us who live on this planet, and it runs through our veins. It crosses borders, spans continents and unifies people on a level that nothing else can. It gives life but lack of it can take it away life just as easily. This is why I donate, this is why I face my fears and this is why I never let life come in the way of life. Every so often I get the opportunity to visit one half of my family in Dubai, UAE. Emirates, the company that my dad works for, provides me two tickets a year to go and visit this magnificent city. Just before I went I donated and the gift that came along with the donation was a pair of simple and elegant black sunglasses with the SANBS logo and name stamped on the side. Of course going to an extremely hot and sunny country I would definitely make use of them. I am also an avid photographer and when the opportunity presented itself I could not resist seizing the moment. So on the beach with the only 7-star hotel in the world, the Burj Al-Arab, in the background I took some still shots of the sunglasses on the sand and shells. The simplistic design of the sunglasses contrasted very nicely against the complex textures and patterns on the shells. I cannot wait to see what other gifts the SANBS has to bring that share the same design philosophy and style as this one did. 4 BLOOD BEAT MR Riaan Fourie Mr Andrew Killick MR James Trace 95 100 100 Donated his 95th Unit of blood at Boksburg Blood Bank Supervisor. Donated his 100th unit of blood at the Richards Bay Donor Centre. Donated his 100th unit of blood at the Braampark Donor Centre. Mr Joseph Gouws Mr Kobus Brink MR Graham Felton 200 250 250 Donated his 200th Unit of blood at the Uitenhage Donor Centre. Donated his 250th unit of blood at our Victorian Square Donor Centre. Donated his 250th unit of blood at the Colony Shopping Centre. 5 with Misisizwe Khoza Misisizwe is a 15 year old boy from KwaZulu Natal, currently doing grade 9 at Maritzburg College. Looking at him you see a bright young man, full of smiles and zest for life. Melisizwe was diagnosed with cancer at the tender age of 13 years, but he has not let that get in his way of life. Thanks to blood donor’s he can continue to tell his story. Where does all this energy come from? It’s more of a personality than energy. I could run a marathon and still be as “zesty” as I am described. What time does your day start? A normal school day begins at 5am every morning, although I prefer to sleep in on weekends. What is the very first thing you do when you get up? I have a glass of water, and then take a shower. What makes you different from other 15 year olds in your opinion? Through simple eyes the difference is that I have cancer, but in my opinion, the real difference is that I am proud of it and not ashamed of it. I was diagnosed with cancer on 03 June 2013 around 10:00am “You tend to remember details that change your life” he adds with a smile. What do you find most challenging about living with cancer? For me every day is a blessing, the fact that I wake up to a new day every morning. I prefer to focus on the bright side of things. When were you introduced to SANBS and How? SANBS helped me in more ways than one, besides providing blood for me when I needed it most, they’ve given me a lifeline with opportunities. I also encourage others to donate and save lives just like mine. What are your future plans? I hope to be an SANBS ambassador, encouraging people to donate blood, but I also want to use my story to influence other patients (cancer and otherwise) who aren’t as optimistic as I am, not to give up on life. No illness is a death sentence. People just need to focus more on the beauty of life. What do you want to be when you grow up? My primary passion is acting, I love drama and entertaining people. I have a talent for that sort of thing. Considering the unpredictability of that career path, I also wish to study and be an accountant. My ultimate goal is happiness, should I fail at that, I shall have failed at everything. 7 What is it that you fear the most in life (worst fear)? Not making my mother proud, after all the nonsense I put her through on a daily basis, I owe it to her to make her the an envy of all mothers around the world. That’s what I strive for. If you could, what would you change in/about your life? If I could change anything, I would make it possible to download food. Other than that I’m satisfied. How do you spend your time outside school? When I’m not at chemotherapy, I like playing sports and Xbox with my friends. I make it a point to keep busy when I’m off because chemotherapy is more than enough rest for me. We have noticed that you are a very positive person, when did you realise you had a calling? Who is your role model? Will Smith, I have great respect for him and his craft. He has always been my favourite actor and I aspire to be like him one day. Do you prefer local or international holidays? Well I’ve never been out of the country, so local is lekker. Music, what genre do you listen to? I listen to pretty much everything from hip hop to rock. I like to keep up with the best in local and international news. Entertainment: movies or soap operas? Movies, I love watching movies, be it at a cinema or in the comfort of my own home. Sports: Soccer or Rugby? I love playing both sports, but I prefer watching soccer. What is your favourite dish? Any dish with meat on it. I’m crazy about meat. What is your motto in life? It’s always impossible until it’s done, inspired by the late N.R Mandela What do you have to say to blood donors this festive season? There’s always a life in danger, therefore there’s always a need for blood. Whether it’s the satisfaction of knowing you saved someone’s life or the juice and biscuits (laughs) keep going back. There are thousands of people just like me who appreciate what you do. The only gift better than donating blood is bringing a friend to donate with you. Let’s encourage giving this Christmas; if you don’t already give blood, it’s never too late. Donate blood, donate a lifeline. “ I was diagnosed with cancer on 03 June 2013 around 10:00am. You tend to remember details that change your life. 8 MANAGING Symptoms of diabetes Symptoms of diabetes include excessive thirst, increased urination, weight loss and fatigue. It is important to recognise these symptoms as, left untreated, diabetes can cause coma and even death There are three types of diabetes 1 | Type 1 diabetes The body does not produce insulin. Some people may refer to this type as insulin-dependent diabetes, juvenile diabetes, or early-onset diabetes. People usually develop type 1 diabetes before their 40th year, often in early adulthood or teenage years. Type 1 diabetes is nowhere near as common as type 2 diabetes. Approximately 10% of all diabetes cases are type 1. Patients with type 1 diabetes will need to take insulin injections for the rest of their lives. They must also ensure proper blood-glucose levels by carrying out regular blood tests and following a special diet. 9 The body does not produce enough insulin for proper function, or the cells in the body do not react to insulin (insulin resistance). Approximately 90% of all cases of diabetes worldwide are type 2. Measuring the glucose level in blood. Some people may be able to control their type 2 diabetes symptoms by losing weight, following a healthy diet, doing plenty of exercise, and monitoring their blood glucose levels. However, type 2 diabetes is typically a progressive disease - it gradually gets worse - and the patient will probably end up having to take insulin, usually in tablet form. Overweight and obese people have a much higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes compared to those with a healthy body weight. People with a lot of visceral fat, also known as central obesity, belly fat, or abdominal obesity, are especially at risk. Being overweight/obese causes the body to release chemicals that can destabilize the body’s cardiovascular and metabolic systems. Being overweight, physically inactive and eating the wrong foods all contribute to our risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The risk of developing type 2 diabetes is also greater as we get older. diets before becoming pregnant were high in animal fat and cholesterol had a higher risk for gestational diabetes, compared to their counterparts whose diets were low in cholesterol and animal fats. 3 | Gestational diabetes Controlling diabetes This type affects females during pregnancy. Some women have very high levels of glucose in their blood, and their bodies are unable to produce enough insulin to transport all of the glucose into their cells, resulting in progressively rising levels of glucose. Diagnosis of gestational diabetes is made during pregnancy. The majority of gestational diabetes patients can control their diabetes with exercise and diet. Between 10% to 20% of them will need to take some kind of blood-glucosecontrolling medications. Undiagnosed or uncontrolled gestational diabetes can raise the risk of complications during childbirth. The baby may be bigger than he/she should be. Scientists from the National Institutes of Health and Harvard University found that women whose Treatment is effective and important All types of diabetes are treatable. Diabetes type 1 lasts a lifetime, there is no known cure. Type 2 usually lasts a life time, however, some people have managed to get rid of their symptoms without medication, through a combination of exercise, diet and body weight control. Special diets can help sufferers of type 2 diabetes control the condition. Patients with type 1 are treated with regular insulin injections, as well as a special diet and exercise. Patients with Type 2 diabetes are usually treated with tablets, exercise and a special diet, but sometimes insulin injections are also required. If diabetes is not adequately controlled the patient has a significantly higher risk of developing complications. Diabetes, often referred to by doctors as diabetes mellitus, describes a group of metabolic diseases in which the person has high blood glucose (blood sugar), either because insulin production is inadequate, or because the body’s cells do not respond properly to insulin, or both. 10 Source: National Diabetes Education Program / ndep.nih.gov 2 | Type 2 diabetes What is This special molecule is a type of protein found in every red blood cell in your body. What is it is, how it works, and why your levels matter Your blood is red because of haemoglobin. This special molecule is a type of protein found in every red blood cell in your body. Each one contains about 270 million molecules of haemoglobin and each molecule can bind with up to four oxygen molecules – the crucial element your body relies on to survive. In the lungs, oxygen attaches to the haem part of the haemoglobin molecule and is then taken by the body’s circulatory system to the tissues and organs where cells use the oxygen to release energy. Red blood cells are made in bones that contain bone marrow mainly in the pelvis and long bones but also the ribs, vertebrae, sternum and cranium. If not enough red blood cells are produced, or they do not contain enough haemoglobin to bind with oxygen, anaemia may develop. This means the body can’t supply enough oxygen to its tissues, causing symptoms like severe tiredness. One of the causes of anaemia can be low iron levels, which affects the production of haemoglobin. 11 Iron and haemoglobin Human haemoglobin is a complicated molecule consisting of four major units, each containing a smaller ‘haem’ group. This group contains a single iron atom, held in the centre of a square made up of four nitrogen atoms, and exists at the heart of an array of organic rings called a porphyrin. It is this iron that binds oxygen and enables haemoglobin to do its job. And it’s the porphyrin that gives blood its red colour. Most people have 4 to 5 grams of iron in their bodies. Of this, up to 2.5 g is contained in haemoglobin and most of the rest (approximately 2 grams in adult men, and somewhat less in women of childbearing age) is stored as ferritin, the major iron storage protein of the body. Ferritin complexes are present in all cells, but are most common in bone marrow, liver and spleen. The liver’s stores of ferritin are the body’s primary source of reserve iron. In blood donors stores of iron tend to be slightly lower. Each day approximately 1mg of iron can be absorbed from food as long as the diet contains sufficient iron in it (see box). However, most of the body’s iron comes from recycling. All the following are good sources of iron: Every day we use about 20mg of iron to make new red cells to replace the old worn out cells. During its approximately four-month lifespan, the human red blood cell travels around 300 miles, making about 170,000 circuits through the heart. Cells get damaged on these repeated journeys, which is why the body breaks them down and replaces them regularly. Lean red meat, turkey and chicken Your iron levels Pulses and beans - in particular canned baked beans, chickpeas and lentils When you give blood it’s important you have enough iron stores to be able to make up what you lose when you donate. That’s why we test your blood every time you come to a session. Your haemoglobin levels will naturally change throughout the year, so don’t be discouraged if your levels are too low to donate at one session. By the next time you come, they may have completely recovered and you’ll be able to donate. Boost your haemoglobin levels Everyone needs iron in their diet to maintain healthy levels of haemoglobin. Keep up your levels by eating three portions of food containing iron every day. Liver Fish, particularly oily fish which can be frozen or canned (such as mackerel, sardines or pilchards) Eggs Breakfast cereals - some cereals have been fortified with iron Nuts (including peanut butter) and seeds Brown rice Tofu Bread, especially wholemeal or brown bread Leafy green vegetables, especially curly kale, watercress and broccoli Dried fruits – in particular dried apricots, raisins and prunes Source: www.medicinenet.com ; www.lhsc.on.ca Red cells Donor Background Study Results Research was undertaken that shows repeated blood donations may, in some donors, result in a gradual iron depletion and anaemia. Iron plays an important role in the body. Having too little is associated with various problems, including chronic fatigue and low energy levels. At the end of a 2-month enrolment period, we were able to successfully collect, test and trace samples from 4412 donors. The distribution of these donors closely resembles the general distribution among the various Zones and provinces in South Africa (Figure 2). Blood donation is usually followed by the replacement of iron over a period of time. If insufficient time is allowed for recovery, a gradual drop in iron occurs. Over time, if the donor is not able to replace all the iron he or she lost during the donation, the iron in the main storage compartment starts dropping. Once a point is reached where the iron in red blood cells is low, iron is almost completely depleted in the rest of the body. See below. Figure 2. Participants by Zone and Gender: Figure 1. Iron storage in the body: A | Normal Iron Stores Storage Transit Red Cells B | Iron deficient red cell production Storage Transit Red Cells C | Iron deficiency anaemia Storage Transit Red Cells In response to heightening general awareness with regards to donor health, SANBS and WPBTS embarked on a collaborative study during the latter half of 2014 to assess the iron status of South African blood donors. Egoli Northern Vaal KZN FS/NC East Cape West Prov Mpumalanga 432 425 318 291 246 207 217 187 403 370 267 255 215 223 187 169 The majority of the donors who participated in the study were repeat donors, 66% had donated at least one unit within the 6 months preceding the study and about 35% had donated more than 7 times in the preceding 24 months. As part of this study we assessed donors’ haemoglobin (Hb) levels which are a measure of the iron in the red blood cells, as well as serum-ferritin levels which are a measure of the body’s total iron stores. Within SANBS 13 we use an Hb-level of 12.5 mg/dl as the lower limit of normal and as we do not routinely measure ferritin we used the national levels which are 20 µg/dl for men and 12 µg/dl for women. With regards to Hb levels we found that, as expected, men have on average a higher haemoglobin level compared to females and that overall, the Hb level for the study population was well within the normal rage. Donors who were deferred (and therefore had 0 donations) had Hb levels below 12 g/dl (as expected as these donors were deferred for low Hb). In male donors there was a clear trend that the more frequently they donated the lower their Hb, but that overall, it was still within the accepted range. Along the same vein we noted that the longer the period between donations, the higher the donors’ Hb were. This was true for both males and females. The ferritin levels, i.e. the measure of the overall body iron stores, showed similar trends to that of the Hb measurements. Again, men generally had higher ferritin levels compared to women, in both genders ferritin levels decreased among donors with a high donation frequency while the ferritin levels increased if the inter-donation interval increased. Among men, increasing age and The South African Blood Donor Iron Study – Karin van den Berg frequent donations, the drop in ferritin levels were much more pronounced than among female donors. Iron deficiency is not the only cause of anaemia, but in terms of blood donation, it certainly is the most important. Overall, around 6% of female donors had a low Hb but a normal ferritin level. This may be due to the BTS using a higher cut-off for Hb measurement among females than the national average, but may in part be due to other as yet unidentified deficiencies among these donors. Importantly, 16% of male and 9% of female donors had normal Hbs but with low ferritin levels. These are the cases where the body stores are low, but there is enough iron left for the red blood cells. This group of donors is of particular interest to us, as the tests that we currently use to measure iron at the time of donation is not able to identify these cases. Table 1. Proportion of donors with abnormal results: Normal Hb & Normal Ferritin % All 78% Low Hb & Normal Ferritin % Male Female All 79% 3% 76% Normal Hb & Low Ferritin % All 13% Male Female 0% 6% Low Hb & Low Ferritin % Male Female All Male Female 16% 4% 2% 9% 7% Study Recommendations Following careful and detailed analysis of the data obtained during the study, the various divisions within SANBS and WPBTS reviewed that available information and made several recommendations aimed at ensuring adequate protection of our donors while remaining mindful of the security of the country’s blood supply. Chief among these were to review the current Hb cut-off value used for male donors. Implementing two different Hb cut-offs for male and female donors poses significant operation and logistical challenges which SANBS’ extremely efficient Operations Division will tackle over the next few months to ensure an efficient and seamless transition to a higher Hb cut-off for males. In addition, in collaboration with the Medical Division, a system for monitoring the ferritin levels of donor sub-groups identified as being more at risk of iron deficiency will be evaluated and implemented over the next financial year. Finally, we identified a clear need to improve donor education with regards to diet following blood donation so as to ensure a sufficient iron intake. 14 This is particularly important to donors who are vegetarian as the best sources of iron are meat and meat based foods. Although fortified cereals and bread as well as certain vegetables also contain high levels of iron, the iron in these products is more difficult for the body to absorb. Regular donors should aim to eat three portions of the iron-rich foods. To ensure good absorption of iron, one should avoid drinking tea at mealtimes as it may reduce iron absorption. Taking vitamin C on the other hand improves iron absorption and it is therefore good practice to take drink or vitamin C containing foods or supplements during mealtimes. In conclusion, we want to thank the dedicated staff of SANBS and WPBTS who have gone above and beyond to ensure the success of this study; a special thank you to the SANBS Board for making the funds available that enabled us to do the study, but the biggest thank you of all goes to our donors for their ongoing participation and support of not only this study but in all things blood donation – without you, the hopes and dreams of so many of our patients and their families would never come true! a storm C h i c k en & ga r li c b re a d k e b a b s, B l o o d o r a n g e , s p i n ac h & f e ta “Bursting with vitamin C, the blood orange’s vibrant colour comes from anthocyanin, an antioxidant reputed to help in the prevention of many degenerative diseases ” Serves 2 Cooks In 30 minutes Difficulty Not too tricky Ingredients 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary. 2 cloves of garlic. Extra virgin olive oil. 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar. Cayenne pepper. 2 x 120 g skinless free-range chicken breasts. 2 thick slices of wholemeal bread. 8 fresh bay leaves. 2 blood oranges, (use regular oranges if out of season). 100 g baby spinach. Method Pick the rosemary leaves and smash up in a pestle and mortar with a pinch of sea salt. Peel and crush in the garlic, then muddle in 1 tablespoon of oil, the vinegar and a generous pinch of cayenne. Chop the chicken and bread into 2cm chunks and, in a bowl, toss and mix well with the marinade until evenly coated. Take a little care in skewering up the chicken and bread chunks, randomly interspersing them with the bay leaves on four short skewers and using hardy rosemary stalks, wooden or metal skewers as appropriate. Of course, check that the skewers will fit inside your largest non-stick frying pan. Place the frying pan on a medium-high heat. Lay the skewers in the pan and cook for 4 to 5 minutes on each side, or until cooked through and golden. I like to place a lid and weight on top so that the chicken makes really nice contact with the pan and gets super crispy. Meanwhile, top and tail the blood oranges, trim off the peel, then slice into rounds. Dress the spinach with a squeeze of lemon juice and a drizzle of oil, arrange on your plates with the blood oranges and drizzle with the balsamic. Top with the kebabs, crumble over the feta and serve with lemon wedges. 1 lemon. 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar. 20 g feta cheese. 15 at Wh Happens to yo ur A unti of blood is drawn from a volunteer donor. Units are transported to the nearest SANBS testing and processing lab. Blood is collected into a sterile bag and labelled. Red blood cells Contian haemoglobin, a protein that carries oxygen throughout the body. Used to treat patients with aneamia or blood loss due to trauma or injury. In the processign laboratory, blood is spun down in a centrifuge and then separated into different components. Platelets Crucial in helping blood clots. Pateints with low platelet levels often suffer from bruising and bleeding. Plasma Contains proteins and clotting factors used to treat patients with massive bleeding or clotting factor deficiencies. Blood is tested to ensure that it is safe for transfusion. Blood is transfused to patients in need. Just one blood donation has the potential to save three lives! Local hospitals place orders with SANBS for blood products based on their needs. 5 days Platelets expire in 5 days. 42 days 2 years Red blood cells expire in 42 days. 16 Plasma has a 2 year shelf life from the day of collection. Sz ec h ua n s w e e t & s ou r p r aw n s Serves 4 Cooks In 45 minutes Difficulty Super easy Ingredients 300 g pineapple. 1 red pepper. 1 yellow pepper. 2 cloves of garlic. 1-2 fresh red chillies. Sea salt. 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger. 24 peeled raw king prawns. Groundnut oil, or vegetable oil. 150 ml unsweetened pineapple juice. 3 tablespoons rice or white wine vinegar. Method Peel and slice the pineapple lengthways into 8 wedges, then cut out and discard the woody core. Preheat a large griddle pan over a high heat, add the pineapple for 4 minutes, or until charred and bar-marked, turning occasionally, then remove to a board to cool. Meanwhile, halve, deseed and finely slice the peppers lengthways. Add to the griddle for about 3 minutes, or until slightly softened and bar-marked, turning halfway. Peel the garlic and deseed the chillies, then roughly chop and place into a pestle and mortar. Bash with a pinch of salt to a rough paste. Peel, finely chop and add the ginger, then bash until broken down and combined. Place the chilli paste into a large bowl with the prawns and a splash of oil, then mix well. Heat a lug of oil in a large wok or non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the prawn mixture and fry for 3 to 4 minutes, or until just cooked through. Meanwhile, chop the cooled pineapple into bite-sized chunks. In a bowl, combine the pineapple juice, vinegar, soy, cornflour and a splash of water, then add to the wok with the chargrilled pineapple and peppers. Bring to the boil, then simmer over a low heat for about 2 minutes, or until thickened and reduced. Pick over the coriander leaves, then serve with steamed rice. Tablespoon low-salt soy sauce. ½ tablespoon cornflour. ½ bunch of fresh coriander. 17 Chocolate cake Serves x16 Cooks In 2 hours Difficulty Showing off Ingredients For the sponge: 250 g unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing. 150 g quality dark chocolate (70%). 2 tablespoons olive oil. 300 g caster sugar. 6 large free-range eggs. 150 g self-raising flour. 4 tablespoons quality cocoa powder. For the chocolate rice layer: 300 g quality dark chocolate (70%), plus extra to serve. 1 large knob of butter. 1 splash of double cream. 100 g puffed rice cereal. For the nougat frosting: 2 large free-range egg whites. 3 tablespoons runny honey. 200 g caster sugar. ½ teaspoon cream of tartar. Method Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4. Grease a deep 23cm loose-bottomed cake tin and line the base and sides with a double layer of greaseproof paper. For the sponge, smash up the chocolate and melt in a large heatproof bowl with the butter, oil and sugar over a pan of gently simmering water until smooth and glossy. Remove the bowl from the heat and leave to cool for 10 minutes, then, using an electric hand whisk at high speed, one-by-one beat in the eggs until combined. Sift in the flour and cocoa with a good pinch of sea salt and beat for a short while until just combined. Pour into the prepared tin and bake for around 50 minutes, or until an inserted skewer comes out ever so slightly gooey (the top of the cake will rise up and crack slightly, but don’t worry, it’ll end up covered by all your lovely toppings). Leave to cool in the tin for 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Place on a cake stand, use a long knife to carefully slice the sponge into 3 equal rounds and remove the top two sponges to separate plates. For your mega-crispy chocolatey rice layer, smash up the chocolate and melt with the butter and cream in a large heatproof bowl over a pan of gently simmering water until smooth and glossy. Leave to cool for 5 minutes (to avoid soggy cereal!), then stir in the puffed rice until evenly coated. Divide the mixture onto the 3 cooled sponge layers and spread out evenly across the tops, going right to the edges. To make the nougat frosting, place the egg whites in a heatproof bowl with the honey, sugar, cream of tartar, a good pinch of salt and a splash of water. Place over a pan of gently simmering water, turn up the heat and, with an electric hand whisk, beat for 6 to 7 minutes or until it starts to form peaks. Remove the bowl from the heat, add the vanilla extract, orange blossom or rose water and a dot of food colouring (if using), then carry on beating the mixture until thick. Leave to cool for 5 to 10 minutes, then evenly top each sponge and stack them up nicely. To finish the cake off, use a large knife to shave some extra chocolate, then sprinkle it over the top. Add your candles or sparklers, get them lit and indulge in chocolate celebration cake heaven. ½ teaspoon vanilla extract. ½ teaspoon orange blossom, or rose water, or natural pink food colouring (all optional). 18 15 uses for You Didn’t Know Before 1 | Drink Container Purifier 3 | Stain Remover 6 | N ail-Hole Filler Plastic bottles and thermoses that are reused over and over again start to smell foul. Washing them with detergent and water is not a successful remedy, but toothpaste gets rid of the odor better than anything else. Simply brush the inside of the container with toothpaste and place in the dishwasher. Toothpaste can remove the most difficult stains from your favourite clothes. Lipstick stains from shirt collars, juice stains from T-shirts and spaghetti sauce on the table cloth. Just apply toothpaste directly onto the stain, rub rigorously and throw it in the washer. Be careful not to use whitening toothpaste on colored clothes. Joint compound or spackling are more ideal solutions, but toothpaste works best for smaller holes made by small nails or pins. Simply apply it to the hole and wipe away the excess. 2 | D iamond and Gold Sparkler There aren’t many cleaners that can make jewellery shine like toothpaste. Simply scrub them with toothpaste using a soft bristle toothbrush, rinse with water before the toothpaste hardens and shine with a cloth. Be careful not to use this technique on pearls as the abrasives in toothpaste can scratch the surface. 4 | Revive Headlamps The cover on headlights gets dirty and scratched over time, reducing the brightness of the lights. Clean the cover with soap and water first, then buff it with toothpaste and a polishing pad or cloth. 5 | Shoe Shiner White or light coloured joggers usually get ruined by dark scuff marks. The easiest solution is to scrub the scuff marks with toothpaste. This method also works for dress shoes. 19 7 | S hower-Door Revitalizer Glass shower doors accumulate scum very quickly. To give them their original clarity, simply wipe it down with a squeeze of toothpaste on a damp cloth or sponge. For more stubborn stains, let the toothpaste sit for a while and then rinse it off. 8 | D VD Scratch Remover Minor scratches and smudges can be removed from discs using toothpaste. Rub a tiny amount and work your way from the center outward with a cotton or microfiber cloth. This works best with small scratches and a small amount should be used since using too much will worsen the problem. 9 | Hand Freshner 12 | Goggle Defogger 14 | Chrome Cleaner Soap doesn’t work that well when you have to remove the heavy smell of fish, onions, or other stinky foods from your skin. Toothpaste works far better for removing odors and can be used just like soap. Apply a dab to your hands and rub it like you would soap. Apply lotion or moisturizer afterwards. Goggles that have an antifog coating can be a bit pricey, but you can make regular goggles fog-proof using toothpaste. Rub a small amount of toothpaste on the inside of the goggles in gentle circular motions to prevent scratching the lenses. This trick works for swimming, bike and skiing goggles as well. When you notice the water spots all over your chrome faucets, use the toothpaste and rub it gently on the chrome with a soft cloth, then rinse it off. This will work for any chrome, from plumbing fixtures to car wheels. Use this trick occasionally since the abrasives in the toothpaste can gradually wear away the finish. 10 | Iron Cleaner 13 | Sink Shiner 15 | Mobile Screen Fixer When your iron’s soleplate looks gunky due to mineral buildup, you can easily clean it with a damp cloth and toothpaste. Make sure the iron is cool and unplugged and wipe the toothpaste cloth first, then wipe it with a second cloth. We have all dropped globs of toothpaste into our sinks at some point. But instead of letting it dry into a ball, use a soft cloth and rub the toothpaste around your sink to keep it shining. Once you rinse it, any odours from the drain will also be removed. Devices without a protective screen can become scratched over time. Toothpaste can clean screens on mobile devices such as cell phones and handheld gaming consoles. Lightly rub the screen with toothpaste on a cotton cloth. Then wipe the screen clean with a second cloth. 11 | Silver Polisher Whether it’s forks and spoons, candlestick holders, or ornaments, silver can be revived by polishing it with toothpaste on a soft cloth. For crevices, use a soft toothbrush and then wipe the whole thing down with a dry cloth. 20 Source: wonderfulengineering.com We all use toothpaste, but it has some amazing properties that make it great for a lot more things other than just whitening our teeth. Read on below to see 15 uses for toothpaste that are sure to make life easier. IN THE Women’s Day Celebration in Port Elizabeth By: Nina van Wyk A special blood drive was held at the Walker Drive Blood Donor Centre to celebrate Women’s Day on Monday, 10 August 2015. Regional radio station Algoa FM broadcasted live from the Walker Drive Shopping Centre promotional court and encouraged the public to donate blood. The set target for the day was to reach 80 units of blood and we were very happy that 106 people presented to donate, of which 98 units of blood were collected. Walker Drive Shopping Centre sponsored shopping centre vouchers and more surprises and giveaways were up for grabs to all donors. Ronel Swarts, a cancer survivor, also told her story on radio, which inspired even more people to donate blood. why we decided to have a Pink Blood Drive during the month of October. Donors were spoiled with pink cupcakes and limited Pink Blood Drive Wristbands. Upington Branch held a Pink Blood Drive on Saturday, 10 October 2015. The aim of the day was to create awareness for breast cancer and to collect units of blood to be able to have enough stock to provide patients in need in hospital of life saving liquid, blood. Cansa Upington Centre gave their support and helped with recruitment. The target for the day was 30 units and 35 units were collected. Brilliant effort by everyone involved. SANBS HOSTS MEDIA BREAKFAST The Blood Service in South Africa plays a critical role in the healthcare system. SANBS needs to collect approximately 3 000 units of blood a day in order to meet the demand from patients of South Africa for various blood products. We rely on the goodwill of voluntary blood donors in order to ensure that sufficient blood is available daily. In this regard we face many challenges and getting sufficient blood is therefore an ongoing challenge for our donor staff, and it is especially difficult in winter (flu, school holidays) and during November/ December (exams and long summer vacation). Algoa FM DJ Lance du Plessis and Ronel Swarts, celebrating Women’s Day with SANBS. Pink Blood Drive in Bloemfontein By: Natalie Booysen During Breast Cancer Awareness month, you are reminded of just how important Blood and Blood products are. That is From left to right. Mercia Kearney (Kalahari Mall Marketing Manager), Hendrieka Beukes (PRP SANBS) and Mr. Ettienne Parsons (Cansa Upington) 21 The Media plays a crucial role in generating awareness on the importance of blood donation. Marketing Monique Schreiner. Donors from Kroonstad, Hennenman, Parys, Frankfort, Viljoenskroon, Marquard, Heilbron, Koppies, Senekal and Edenville attended the event. SANBS Held media breakfasts in KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape, to thank the media for their ongoing support in ensuring that our blood blanks always have blood. SANBS hosts 2015 Donor Awards Ceremony in Kroonstad By: BRONWYN PETERSEN The Kroonstad branch had the privilege to acknowledge all the donors who met their special milestones but in particular Mr Christiaan Swanepoel who received his award for 275 blood donations. SANBS would like to thank every donor for their commitment to blood donation. This is an example of the priceless efforts these remarkable people make to ensure that thousands of patients in need of blood transfusions are saved every day. 57 donors attended the blood drive and 45 units of blood were collected. The Pink Blood Drive forms part of the branch’s annual events, in partnership with CANSA to collect sufficient units of blood to help those in need and to celebrate the many lives saved. SANBS Kroonstad expresses their sincere gratitude to those donors who regularly give the gift of life- saving blood so unselfishly. Value Logistics Donors KROONSTAD HOSTS PINK BLOOD DRIVE BY: BRONWYN PETERSEN Alex Christians, Christiaan Swanepoel & Dave Gullett On the 7th of August, the South African National Blood Service (SANBS) hosted its annual Donor Awards Ceremony in Kroonstad. The ceremony celebrates the gratitude SANBS has for our regular and committed blood donors who reached specific donation milestones from April to March 2015.12.09 The ceremony was attended by Mr Alex Christians, SANBS board member, Mr Isaac Mafisa, Zone Donor Services Manager and Zone Head of Value Logistics Donors are proud to be owners of SANBS winter blankets and also their 4 x commitment gifts. They cited they are proud to be associated with SANBS Units collected were 33. Sarita Gullett, Lucell Van Der Ross & Kobus Yawa As part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Saturday 10 October sees the Kroonstad branch host a pink blood drive to create much needed awareness of the need for blood to save the many lives affected by Cancer. 22 Well done team Value! IN THE SANBS AND PROTEA SUPERSPAR TEAM UP TO INCREASE BLOOD DONATIONS IN QUEENSTOWN! by: René Vice Monday, 5 October marked the start of a fabulous relationship between the South African National Blood Service and the Protea Superspar in Queenstown! Protea Superspar came on board with a wonderful campaign to promote blood donation in Queenstown by sending blood drive information to loyalty customers. As SANBS can only recruit already existing blood donors who are on their system, the Protea Superspar database provided a rich pool of potential blood donors, many who may not even be aware of where and when they can donate blood in Queenstown. The message sent to Protea Superspar customers promoted donating blood at the Queenstown Donor Centre, situated at 26 Robinson Road, on Monday, 5 October. Donors and potential donors were also given the opportunity to find out what their blood groups were as SANBS East London Branch PR Practitioner, René Vice, did blood groupings at the Donor Centre on the day. Not only did the Superspar spread the word about the blood drive, but we even got a pint of blood from Keith Coetzee, the Protea Superspar Floor Manager, on the day! René Vice and Protea and Cofimvaba Superspar Marketing Specialist, Xabisa Shenxane, look forward to many more future, fun blood drive collaborations in the Queenstown and Cofimvaba area in order to raise awareness about blood donation. Protea Superspar employee, Aphumelela Kanuka, and Marketing Specialist, Xabisa Shenxane, ready for action outside the 26 Robinson Road Donor Centre – they helped promote the campaign to passers-by during the day. Protea Superspar employee, Siyavuya Kwandla, hands over a voucher to one of the donors on the day. From left to right: Ntosh Mbalo, Thandazile Takane and Olwethu Dyantyi, supporting the cause! Keith Coetzee, Floor Manager at Protea Superspar gets a finger prick by René Vice during a blood grouping session before completing his donor questionnaire form, below, to donate blood. The campaign was a great success as 55 people registered to donate blood on the day - 11 of which were brand new donors! 23 At SANBS every aspect of the transfusion process is meticulously monitored to ensure absolute safety of our donors and recipients. Your blood saves lives Awareness and Commemorative Events DECEMBER Prevention of Injuries Month Skin Cancer Awareness Month 1 December to 31 January 1 | World AIDS Day 3 | International Day of Disabled Persons 5 | International Volunteers Day 9 | World Patient Safety Day 10 | International Human Rights Day Awareness in Relevance to SANBS 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children 2015 25 November - 10 December The 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children is an international awareness-raising campaign. It takes place every year from 25 November (International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women) to 10 December (International Human Rights Day). The period includes Universal Children’s Day and World AIDS Day. 2011 to 2015 is: “Getting to Zero”. For 2014, South Africa focused on ZERO DISCRIMINATION, without losing sight of the other ‘zeroes’: zero new HIV infections and zero AIDS related deaths. International Volunteers Day 2015 5 December International Volunteer Day is a chance for individual volunteers, communities and organisations to promote their contributions to development at local, national and international level. It is a unique opportunity for individuals and organisations of volunteers to work with government agencies, non-profit institutions, community groups, academia and the private sector. World AIDS Day 2015 The International Volunteer Day for Economic and Social Development (IVD) was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly through Resolution A/RES/40/212 on 17 December 1985. Since then, governments, the UN system and civil society organisations have successfully joined volunteers around the world to celebrate the Day on 5 December. 1 December World Patient Safety Day 2015 World AIDS Day is commemorated each year on the 1st of December and is an opportunity for every community to unite in the fight against HIV, show support for people living with HIV and remember those who have died. 9 December The UNAIDS World AIDS Day theme for Patient safety is a healthcare discipline that emphasises the reporting, analysis, and prevention of medical errors that often lead to adverse healthcare events. As per statistical reports, healthcare errors impact 25 1 in every 10 patients around the world. Therefore, the World Health Organisation (WHO) calls patient safety an endemic concern. December 9, every year, marks the World Alliance for Patient Safety Day. The World Health Organisation (WHO) launched this Alliance Day in 2005 to increase the awareness of unsafe healthcare. The purpose of Patient Safety Day is to revolutionise high level support and commitment to tackle patient safety issues in all parts of the world. Let us educate ourselves on patient safety and issues related to it, on this day. Universal Health Coverage Day 2015 12 December On 12 December 2012, the United Nations unanimously endorsed universal health coverage as a pillar of sustainable development and global security. The first Universal Health Coverage Day was celebrated in 2014. The principle behind this is that no one should fall into poverty because they get sick and need healthcare. Universal health coverage (UHC) means that every person, everywhere, has access to quality healthcare without suffering financial hardship. Each year 1 billion people cannot afford a doctor, cannot pay for medicine or cannot access other essential care without risking impoverishment. SANBS supports 16 Days of no violence against women and children Crossword puzzle 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Across DOWN 1 | Term that describes low blood sugar 2 | S ymptom of low blood sugar 6 | The pulse for someone in Insulin shock (low blood sugar) 3 | S ymptom of diabetes 8 | What breath may smell like in a diabetic 5 | U sed to be called “Adult Onset Diabetes” 10 | Symptom of low blood sugar 7 | S ymptom of diabetes 11 | Type 1 diabetes 12 | A sign of low blood sugar 9 | A treatment for diabetes that must be injected to control blood sugar 13 | Symptom of diabetes 14 | A risk factor for type two diabetes 16 | Term that describes high blood sugar 15 | T he organ attacked by the immune system in type one diabetes 19 | Most common in children 20 | D iabetic emergencies are caused by an______ between sugar and insulin in the blood 21 | Skin appearance seen in diabetic coma 22 | W hat is needed to treat low blood sugar emergencies 4 | S ymptom of low blood sugar 17 | L oss of conciousness (gradual in diabetic coma) 18 | T he breathing in someone in insulin shock (low blood sugar) Source: armoredpenguine.com 1 December World AIDS day 22 OUR # 1 PRIORITY IS By William Gallacher One of the underlying principles of any business should be excellent customer service as the driving force of any business, is its customer retention. SANBS, as the largest South African non profit organisation in the blood transfusion fraternity, is no exception. Here at SANBS, our customers are our donors who we depend on to ensure that we always have an adequate supply of blood to provide to all those in need. Therefore, donor retention is one of the most important aspects of our business model. We strive to ensure that our donors have a pleasant experience each time they visit one of our centres, so we have made it a priority to listen to their feedback and opinions through our Customer Feedback System (CFS) which was launched in January 2011. CFS is an electronic Customer Feedback data-gathering system which gathers information, analyses and reports real-time customer feedback to make organisations such as SANBS become aware of their customer’s opinions. Through this system, our donors are able to give us feedback on their experiences at our donor centres, as well as comment on the quality of service they receive each time. This will, in turn assist us to ensure that our service is maintained at an optimum level. The system has been put in place to help us understand our donors better. This information will feed into the SANBS CRM system which will be used for donor retention, improving donor communication and customer service. This data is required to establish how far the business is with its customer service levels. Fixed donor centres have five different templates and mobile sites only have one Donors who take time to fill in our feedback system stand a chance to win a tablet in our monthly draws. to the following CFS winners! They all walk away with a Tablet each. July 2015 August 2015 September 2015 KZN Shelly Centre A.C.E. De Klerk Atterbury Value Mart Erik Redelinghuys Higveld Mall Vukile Mahlangu To stand a chance of winning, fill in our digital feedback forms available in all donor centres and you could be our next winner. 27 sanbs.org.za 0800 11 9031