Blood hero from Lawalde: Ralf Neumann donates life over 100 times!

Blood hero from Lawalde: Ralf Neumann donates life over 100 times!

In Saxony, blood donations are becoming increasingly important, because around 650 blood donations are needed every day to ensure the health of the population. On Tuesday, Ralf Neumann from Lawalde, a long -time blood donor, visited a festival of the German Red Cross (DRK) in the Neugersdorf sports center, where 145 blood donors were awarded for their loyal performances. Neumann himself donated blood over 100 times and sees this as his contribution to society. It is particularly important to him that his three daughters are also motivated to donate blood, because "every drop". He shares these views with many other donors who also contribute a valuable part to patient care.

Ralf Neumann, who is also the owner of the Nikol meeting in Löbau, not only deals with his gastronomy. He also used his willingness to donate to draw attention to the constantly increasing need for blood canned goods. In 2023 and 2024, particularly committed blood donors were recognized for their 50th, 75 or 100th donation. This traditional honor by the DRK is intended to motivate the donors and attract new candidates, although the recruitment of new donors, especially younger people, becomes a challenge. Jens Scholz, spokesman for the DRK blood donation service North-East, expresses concerns about the donor's age structure, since many older donors will leave in the near future.

The blood donation in Germany

What many do not know: Around 15,000 blood donations are needed in Germany every day, but only around 3 % of the population are active blood donors. The need for blood preparations is diverse. A fifth of all blood cannons are used for tumor patients, while others have to be available for emergencies, such as after accidents. In view of this high demand, German blood donation services strive to strengthen awareness of the importance of donating blood through the #MissingType campaign. The motto of this initiative expresses: "Only when it is missing does it notice!"

At a moment, the Red Cross employees are required to make the donations efficient. Therefore, fixed blood donation dates in the Löbau flower hall are now an important measure to avoid unnecessary waiting times. In 2022 there were 3.2 million erythrocyte concentrates in Germany and about 484,000 platelet concentrates, which underlines the urgency of the donation. The hygienic conditions in gyms represent an additional challenge because they are often not sufficient.

The next blood donation dates in the region

• 10. July from 2:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the Löbau flower hall
• 25. July from 3:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. in the Niedercunnersdorf primary school
• 25. June and July 24 from 3:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the Neugersdorf Education Center

It is clear: an active contribution to the common good through blood donations is not only a personal decision, but also a social responsibility. The DRK calls everyone to participate and recognize the advantages that the blood donation offers. Because in the end it is about helping others - and who doesn't want to contribute to a better society?

Further information on the blood donation and how you can become active can be found on the websites of the drk and Blood donation service .