The gift of blood has set a new direction in the life of beneficiaries like Firdaus Bin Mohd Abdullah. The 19 year old is a leukemia survivor; currently a polytechnic student working on his diploma in early childhood education, Firdaus also dreams of being a DJ.

The youth remembers how he was diagnosed with leukaemia at the tender age of 11. “Cancer really made me weak.” It all started with the fevers he would get occasionally, and his parents started noticing how pale their only child was becoming; his mother recalled how Firdaus would frequently talk about his fatigue. Firdaus eventually consulted a doctor, and was given a blood test before being diagnosed with the blood cancer. It had never dawned on him that he would be stricken with the condition.

Firdaus was a blood recipient right before his bone marrow transplant. “I felt so grateful that I was getting blood to survive. Giving blood is a very simple act. If every healthy person can do his part, there would be enough to save those like me who require the blood. There were so many donors and types of blood donations that have sustained me,” he acknowledged.

Once Helped, He Now Helps Others

On the road to recovery, Firdaus finds ways of inspiring and recruiting more blood donors by actively hosting at blood drives and events held by the Singapore Red Cross. As a volunteer and a natural advocate, he gets a chance to give back to community.

To those with leukaemia who are still relying on blood transfusion to survive, he has this word of encouragement: When the world says, “Give up,” Hope whispers, “Try it one more time.”

Blood donors have the rare privilege of bringing this hope, and this has been Firdaus’ powerful message at the numerous blood mobile drives and blood donor events that he hosts.