World Blood Donor Day is celebrated on June 14th annually, and the theme for this year is “Give blood, give plasma, share life, share often.”

Lieutenant Colonel Alvin Ryan, Director of the Disaster Management Coordination Agency (DMCA) is a regular blood donor for the Glendon Hospital on Montserrat for many years.

Lieutenant Colonel Ryan says giving blood saves lives. The blood you give is a lifeline in an emergency and for people who need long-term treatments.

He adds whether an individual blood type is rare, common or somewhere in between, blood donations can help patients, especially those in need of surgery to save their lives.

World Blood Donor Day focuses on patients requiring life-long transfusion support and underlines the role every single person can play, by giving the valuable gift of blood or plasma. It also highlights the importance of giving blood or plasma regularly to create a safe and sustainable supply of blood and blood products that can be always available, all over the world, so that all patients in need can receive timely treatment.