The 29-year-old was taken by rescue helicopter to the emergency centre at Bonn University Hospital. Life-saving measures are initiated in the shock room. Zoé H. is operated on about twenty times in the following weeks. She survives. Without the help of the doctors, but above all without the necessary blood reserves, this would hardly have been possible.

"Without the doctors and the life-saving blood preparations, I wouldn't be here now," Zoé H. then emphasises. Actually, her name is different. The university hospital in Bonn, which is reporting on the case, does not give her real name. Together with the young woman, the UKB wants to draw attention to the case and show what vital importance blood donations can have in an emergency.

Blood reserves not only save the lives of seriously injured accident victims like Zoé H., but also support the treatment of cancer patients and premature babies, among other things, the university hospital informs. Many operations, for example in heart surgery, would be unthinkable without blood reserves. But blood is always in short supply, and the number of donations throughout Germany is becoming less and less sufficient to meet the growing demand.

"In January, we had an extreme supply shortage," reports Stephan David Küpper, spokesperson for the Blood Donation Service West of the German Red Cross (DRK). There were many reports, many people came. In the meantime, however, the DRK has observed declining numbers again. "The reservations to donate blood, which have been there since the pandemic, are decreasing. In autumn, things could get tight again in Bonn, too," says Küpper. Travel vaccinations for the summer holidays and cold symptoms are additional reasons that make short-term cancellations necessary, he adds.

At the Bonn location, fluctuations could be at least partially absorbed by the commitment of the companies and federal institutions that set up blood donation days for their employees, Küpper praises the federal city. Nevertheless, the situation is currently becoming more tense again. The UKB also cites the demographic change in society as a reason for this.

"Fewer and fewer young people are available as potential blood donors for the care of an increasing number of predominantly older patients," says Johannes Oldenburg, Director of the Institute for Experimental Haematology and Transfusion Medicine at the UKB. Zoé H. also began donating blood at the age of 20. At the time, she did not believe that she would one day need to donate herself.

"There needs to be a lot more talk about blood donation. Because with it, everyone can really help someone and save lives." Especially for young people who lack the money to donate to a good cause, for example, blood donation is a good opportunity to do something good without a lot of effort, finds the young woman, who is working in physiotherapy to return to as carefree an everyday life as possible.

Appointments to donate blood can be made via the UKB blood donation app or by emailing termin.blutspende@ukbonn.de. Further information about donating blood at Bonn University Hospital is available at www.bonnerblut.de.

(Original text: Jonas Dirker; Translation: Mareike Graepel)