Accident survivor organises blood donation camp at his wedding; priest, friends also participate

Praveen's friends had arranged three units of blood when he met with an accident four years ago. He thought it was time to give back

A couple in Karnataka's Haveri district entered into wedlock with a noble cause — donating blood — to show his gratitude for the timely blood he had received after meeting a fatal accident four years ago.

While Praveen Subbannavar (32), an electrician by profession, donated one unit of his ‘O -ve’ blood right after his wedding vows, his partner Savitri of Akki Alur, who could not donate on the wedding day due to a medical issue, pledged to do so after recovering.

Not just the bride and her groom, the wedding saw 16 people, including nine first-timers and the priest, donating blood.

“I had met with a serious bike accident. My lower jaw was dislocated and multiple wounds resulted in a huge loss of blood. The doctors at Primary Health Centre, Hangal had said my survival was very difficult due to blood loss,” he said. Praveen's friends moved heaven and earth to arrange three units of blood at Karnataka Institute of Medical Sciences, Hubballi by the time he was admitted there.

After five days of stabilising him, the doctors at KIMS advised him to go to Bengaluru for a complicated operation at M S Ramaiah Dental College. “It was during the peak of Covid-19. There were hardly any doctors available and getting blood was even more difficult; my friends, who are regular blood donors like me, ensured that I got the required amount of blood during my hard days,” said Praveen.

Between 2006 and 2019, Praveen donated blood 16 times. But after the surgery, he could not donate blood due to weakness. “I wanted to give a message to my relatives regarding the importance of blood donation and after getting permission from the doctors, I donated blood,” he said. The first-timers, a majority of whom were hesitant over the "consequence" of donating blood, did so on the occasion after being convinced by Praveen and Sneha Maitri Blood Army founder Karabasappa Gondi.

Speaking to DH, Gondi said blood relatives attend our happy occasions like marriage, child’s birth and others. However, when there is a need for blood, they do not turn up. So, to create awareness among them, we organised this blood camp. “Instead of coming with fruits and bread after surgery to see if their relatives are alive, people should come forward to donate blood to save them,” he said.

Akki Alur has more than 1,000 'blood soldiers’ who have been donating blood regularly. The blood units collected at Praveen’s wedding were donated to the government hospital in Haveri.