VietNamNet Bridge – She always feels tired, often looks pale, and walks slowly. But 23-year-old Pham Thi Cam Ha has found new energy and a reason to live. The catalyst for her revival: a chance discovery on her Facebook account about the Red Journey programme.

People donate blood to the national blood bank in central Quang Tri Province's Dong Ha City. Over 5,000 volunteers throughout the country have joined the Red Journey programme which aims to educate the public about blood donations.

Launched by the National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion two months ago, the programme recruited Ha and more than 5,000 other volunteers from around the country to a campaign to educate the public about blood donations as well as the inherited blood disorder called thalassemia.

Ha was born with thalassemia, a disorder that can result in excessive destruction of red blood cells, leading to anemia. Patients who inherit the gene from both parents develop thalasemia major, which can cause bone deformities in the face, fatigue, shortness of breath and jaundice.

On July 7, Ha and 99 volunteers visited 35 provinces and cities to encourage people to donate blood.

After seeing the Facebook notice about the Red Journey, Ha first had to get approval from her parents, who finally agreed after they spoke with other volunteers who told them how it could change her life.

Ha said she wanted to tell others who have been diagnosed with thalassemia that they "can do everything and turn their dreams into reality".

With such a serious blood disorder, Ha requires life-long follow-up care and regular blood transfusions. Untreated, thalassemia can lead to heart failure and liver problems.

Although thalassemia is genetically inherited, Ha was not diagnosed until she was in the 12th grade.

Ha recalled the first time that she had to go the hospital, just after Tet holiday, for a blood transfer. There was a shortage in the hospital's blood banks.

"I was waiting in pain. I had to use a breathing machine," Ha said.

Her classmates came to the hospital, and three of them were found to have the correct blood type.

"After the blood transfusions, my breathing improved," Ha recalled.

Dr Ngo Manh Quan, head of the blood donation ward of the institute, said that blood shortages were common worldwide.

Blood shortages

According to the World Health Organisation, Viet Nam needs nearly 2 million units of blood each year.

The national steering committee for blood donation on March 19 said that only 912,000 units of blood were collected last year, meeting only 45 per cent of demand.

Awareness about the importance of blood donation was poor, he said, adding that most donations were given in large cities like HCM City and Ha Noi.

Patients with thalessmia in Viet Nam often cannot get a blood transfusion because of the shortage.

In Viet Nam, more than 20,000 patients are diagnosed with thalassemia each year, and more than 5 million people in Viet Nam carry the genetic trait for thalassemia, according to Quan.

If the gene is inherited from one parent, the child is only a carrier, but if the gene is from both parents, then the disease is likely to occur.

The total cost for a treatment to help each patient with severe thalassemia to live until 30 years old is VND3 billion (US$142,857).

Quan advised young couples to take tests before getting married to discover if they both carry the gene.

Nguyen Tan Khoi, deputy head of the standing committee of the Red Journey, said the volunteers would continue their work from July 7-28. The volunteers also include famous Vietnamese singers, actors and models.

Messages can be sent via telephone exchange on line 1403 to help raise funds for patients. Each message contributes VND6,000, which is taken from the person's phone account.

With such support, Ha and others are able to not only survive, but lead a happy life.

"Thalessemia can weaken your health, but it cannot destroy our spirit," Ha said.

Source: VNS