Blood ties couple in anniv celebration

BHUBANESWAR: Who said wedding anniversaries are celebrated with cakes, expensive gifts and flashy parties? Sometimes, it's just not love that keeps a couple together, it's also blood ties!
For Gopinath Pattnaik and his wife, anniversaries mean, among other things, donating blood! And in this noble endeavour, they are joined by 17 close relatives. The 18th anniversary of the couple, which was celebrated on July 4, saw the "family" organising a blood donation camp.Believe it or not, for the past five years, the couple has been remembering their oath-taking day in this fashion.
"I wanted my wife and my family to be a part of my 29-year-old work of blood donation. The anniversary was just the right occasion," said the 53-year-old sports officer who claims to have donated blood for nearly a hundred times and wishes to do so till he is alive.
He says he is not chasing records. "I just want to communicate this message that blood can save someone's life. However, people have misconceptions that need to be cleared. There is no fear of contamination or health problems if a person gives blood," he added. Trained under the State Blood Transfusion Council, Gopinath holds blood donation camps.
Gopinath feels each family can start a movement to save lives. In fact, he plans to initiate his friends, too, at the next anniversary. "I am glad that even my son wants to host a similar camp on his birthdays once he turns 18," said Gopinath.
Born and brought up in Bhubaneswar, Gopinath donated blood for the first time when he was 24, saving the life of a critically injured woman in a road accident with faint chances of survival. But when he saw her family crying in happiness, he realized the good deed he had done!
After this, the physical education graduate started donating blood every three months and even convinced his friends and relatives to do so. Despite initial resistance from his mother, who later became his greatest supporter, Gopinath donated blood to patients with thalassemia, leukemia, accident victims and pregnant women.
Besides donating blood and motivating people, Gopinath wishes to come up with a state level programme or an institution to honour blood donors. "The act of blood donation is unique and blood donors are special people. So we should salute these everyday heroes who want to help others," said Gopinath.