Please Give Her My Blood
On Thursday my phone rings, this time it is my friend Patti. Patti and her husband have served here for over 20+ years. They are deeply immersed in loving people to Jesus. My admiration for them run deeply. Patti apologizes. Not wanting to assume that I, or our medical team would or could help. She goes on to explain that one of their young Papuan friends gave birth 3 days ago. Apparently she bled heavily for these 3 days after the birth and had now been moved to ICU at the hospital right behind our home. The baby was healthy and already home. AB+ blood was needed, otherwise this ladies death was imminent.
For a change my afternoon was free and I assured Patti that I would go up to the hospital to see what I could do and that if the blood donor place was still open that I would give blood because I am 0 negative, a universal donor. Relieved, I found the blood bank room still open. At 2:45 this was a surprise to me, as most services like this close by 2 at the latest. Explaining the situation I declare that I wanted and was willing to give blood. The young man looks at my Indonesian pink donor card and tells me, “No, we cannot do this. We cannot give your 0 negative blood to an AB + person.” I pushed a little, “Please give her my blood”, assuring him we could. Then he calls to the ICU to double check the patient’s blood type. Meanwhile I decide that maybe I should go and see the seriousness of the situation.
Many of the families to the patients in ICU are sitting on the floor under the outside eve. Resting, waiting for news. Some are eating. Many are trying to get a bit of sleep. I go from family group to family group trying to find if any of “my Patient’s” family is around. They all keep telling me no. In a few minutes a nurse walks by, they holler at her to help me. Explaining what I want she tells me to just go on into the ICU. All the family groups laugh at me as I enter the ICU. Once again, the foreigner. I don’t mind, I’m on a mission.
I walk into the “ICU”. I can pick “my patient” out immediately. A group of hospital personal are crowded around her bed, trying to draw the needed lab. Telling her to calm down. After they are done and the blood sample is whisked away, I ask if I can talk to her. They say I can, but that she can’t talk to me. As I approach her bed, her distress is alarming. She is intubated and fighting against this unnatural feeling so hard. I wonder why they don’t give some medication to relax her? Beads of sweat are pouring out of her body. Her breathing or lack thereof and full body distress lets me know that this lady was truly racing against time for life giving blood. I bent over and whispered into her unresponsive face that people were trying their best to help her. That blood was on its way. That Jesus loved her so much. That her healthy baby was home and waiting for her. I swallow hard for the lump that is in my throat.
I pass by the family members and I excuse myself from them and joke about them all laughing at me. To which they laugh some more. I go back to the blood bank room, determined more than ever to give my blood that could save life. It is confirmed that “my Patient” has AB+ blood and no they can’t give my 0 neg. blood. Frustrated and wanting confirmation, I called “MY Doctor”, Dr. Di! After explaining the situation, she patiently told me that they have been trained this way. It is probably for the best, so that no confusion happens. That they would not give my universal blood and that I would do best to just not fight that battle. Grateful for her council I have to let my determination go and turn my focus in another direction.
After hanging up the phone, I explain to the dear blood bank personal, that are only trying to do their job, that I understand. Do they have any AB+ blood in stock? “No”! However, a phone call to the Abe hospital, 45 minutes away, reveals that yes indeed they do. Meanwhile I call Patti and she gives money to the family and off they go on their motorbike to buy and TRANSPORT the precious life giving blood.
I Know….oh how I know and LOVE someone else who has UNIVERSAL blood and ready to give it to anyone who is willing to receive it. So often, it is rejected because people don’t understand and haven’t been taught about the precious blood of Jesus and what it can do for them. My Jesus. My precious Jesus.
Today, “My patient” lives because in due time, the life giving blood arrived. Today we mourn and grieve the loss of a precious pastor’s wife who traveled this week to Hobotongo and died yesterday. She flew there on Monday and was teaching the children there of our Jesus. 4 days later she is dead. Such loss. Such sorrow. Yet she knew and had accepted and was motivated and moved by the life giving Universal blood of Jesus. If you don’t know Him, I encourage you to write me or reach out to someone who can help you find Him. If I wanted to give my blood to a dying patient…..Jesus longs 1,000 fold to give HIs blood to all, including you.
For a change my afternoon was free and I assured Patti that I would go up to the hospital to see what I could do and that if the blood donor place was still open that I would give blood because I am 0 negative, a universal donor. Relieved, I found the blood bank room still open. At 2:45 this was a surprise to me, as most services like this close by 2 at the latest. Explaining the situation I declare that I wanted and was willing to give blood. The young man looks at my Indonesian pink donor card and tells me, “No, we cannot do this. We cannot give your 0 negative blood to an AB + person.” I pushed a little, “Please give her my blood”, assuring him we could. Then he calls to the ICU to double check the patient’s blood type. Meanwhile I decide that maybe I should go and see the seriousness of the situation.
Many of the families to the patients in ICU are sitting on the floor under the outside eve. Resting, waiting for news. Some are eating. Many are trying to get a bit of sleep. I go from family group to family group trying to find if any of “my Patient’s” family is around. They all keep telling me no. In a few minutes a nurse walks by, they holler at her to help me. Explaining what I want she tells me to just go on into the ICU. All the family groups laugh at me as I enter the ICU. Once again, the foreigner. I don’t mind, I’m on a mission.
I walk into the “ICU”. I can pick “my patient” out immediately. A group of hospital personal are crowded around her bed, trying to draw the needed lab. Telling her to calm down. After they are done and the blood sample is whisked away, I ask if I can talk to her. They say I can, but that she can’t talk to me. As I approach her bed, her distress is alarming. She is intubated and fighting against this unnatural feeling so hard. I wonder why they don’t give some medication to relax her? Beads of sweat are pouring out of her body. Her breathing or lack thereof and full body distress lets me know that this lady was truly racing against time for life giving blood. I bent over and whispered into her unresponsive face that people were trying their best to help her. That blood was on its way. That Jesus loved her so much. That her healthy baby was home and waiting for her. I swallow hard for the lump that is in my throat.
I pass by the family members and I excuse myself from them and joke about them all laughing at me. To which they laugh some more. I go back to the blood bank room, determined more than ever to give my blood that could save life. It is confirmed that “my Patient” has AB+ blood and no they can’t give my 0 neg. blood. Frustrated and wanting confirmation, I called “MY Doctor”, Dr. Di! After explaining the situation, she patiently told me that they have been trained this way. It is probably for the best, so that no confusion happens. That they would not give my universal blood and that I would do best to just not fight that battle. Grateful for her council I have to let my determination go and turn my focus in another direction.
After hanging up the phone, I explain to the dear blood bank personal, that are only trying to do their job, that I understand. Do they have any AB+ blood in stock? “No”! However, a phone call to the Abe hospital, 45 minutes away, reveals that yes indeed they do. Meanwhile I call Patti and she gives money to the family and off they go on their motorbike to buy and TRANSPORT the precious life giving blood.
I Know….oh how I know and LOVE someone else who has UNIVERSAL blood and ready to give it to anyone who is willing to receive it. So often, it is rejected because people don’t understand and haven’t been taught about the precious blood of Jesus and what it can do for them. My Jesus. My precious Jesus.
Today, “My patient” lives because in due time, the life giving blood arrived. Today we mourn and grieve the loss of a precious pastor’s wife who traveled this week to Hobotongo and died yesterday. She flew there on Monday and was teaching the children there of our Jesus. 4 days later she is dead. Such loss. Such sorrow. Yet she knew and had accepted and was motivated and moved by the life giving Universal blood of Jesus. If you don’t know Him, I encourage you to write me or reach out to someone who can help you find Him. If I wanted to give my blood to a dying patient…..Jesus longs 1,000 fold to give HIs blood to all, including you.
Comments
Post a Comment