Usuku Lomhlaba Lokunikela Ngegazi, ngoJuni 14
Lapho ngiba neminyaka engu-18 ubudala, ngaqala ukunikela ngegazi. Ngandlela thize, ngisakhula ngaba nombono wokuthi ukunikela ngegazi yinto eyenziwa yibo bonke abantu sebebadala ngokwanele. Nokho, lapho ngiqala ukunikela, ngafunda ngokushesha ukuthi “wonke umuntu” akalinikezi igazi. Yize kuyiqiniso ukuthi abanye abantu abafanelekile ngokwezempilo ukuthi banikele, abanye abaningi abanikeleli ngoba abakaze bacabange ngakho.
NgoSuku Lomhlaba Lokunikela Ngegazi, ngikubekela inselelo yokuthi ucabange ngakho.
Cabanga ngokunikela ngegazi futhi, uma kungenzeka, unikele.
NgokweRed Cross, njalo ngemizuzwana emibili othile e-US udinga igazi. Leso sidingo esikhulu segazi yinto okufanele ucabange ngayo.
I-Red Cross iphinde ithi iyunithi elilodwa legazi lingasiza ekusindiseni abantu abathathu. Kodwa ngezinye izikhathi kudingeka amayunithi amaningi egazi ukuze kusizwe umuntu oyedwa. Ngifunde ukulandisa muva nje ngentombazane okwatholakala ukuthi inesifo se-sickle cell ngesikhathi izalwa. Umpontshelwa amangqamuzana egazi abomvu njalo ngemva kwamasonto ayisithupha ukuze akhululeke. Ngifunde nangowesifazane owalimala kanzima engozini yemoto. Waba nokulimala okuningi okwaholela ekuhlinzweni kaningi. Kwakudingeka amayunithi ayikhulu egazi ngesikhathi esifushane kakhulu; okusho ukuthi cishe abantu abayi-100 ababa nesandla ekusindeni kwakhe, futhi banikele ngokungazi isidingo esiqondile esizosinikeza. Cabanga ngokusiza othile ukuba angabi nazinhlungu phakathi nokugula okungamahlalakhona noma ukuvimbela umkhaya ekulahlekelweni othandekayo. Yigazi elivele lilindile esibhedlela elelapha lezi zimo eziphuthumayo; cabanga ngalokho.
Cabanga ngeqiniso lokuthi igazi nama-platelet akukwazi ukukhiqizwa; bangavela kubanikeli kuphela. Kuye kwaba nentuthuko enkulu kakhulu ekwelapheni ngemishini eqinisa inhliziyo, amalunga okwenziwa, nezitho zokwenziwa kodwa ayikho into engathatha indawo yegazi. Igazi linikezwa kuphela ngokupha komuntu onikelayo futhi zonke izinhlobo zegazi ziyadingeka ngaso sonke isikhathi.
Ubuwazi yini ukuthi kungase kube nemininingwane ethile ngegazi lakho ngamanye ngaphandle kohlobo lwegazi? Le mininingwane ingase ikwenze uvumelane kakhulu nokusiza ngezinhlobo ezithile zokumpontshelwa igazi. Isibonelo, izingane ezisanda kuzalwa zingampontshelwa ngegazi elingenayo i-cytomegalovirus (CMV). Iningi labantu liye lachayeka ngaleli gciwane ebuntwaneni ngakho ukuhlonza labo abangenayo i-CMV kubalulekile ekwelapheni abantwana abanamasosha omzimba amasha noma abantu abanamasosha omzimba ampofu. Ngokufanayo, ukwenza ukufanelana okungcono kakhulu kwabantu abanesifo se-sickle cell badinga igazi elinama-antigens athile (ama-protein molecule) ebusweni bamangqamuzana egazi abomvu. Umuntu oyedwa kwabathathu abantu abamnyama base-Black African kanye nabamnyama base-Black Caribbean banalolu hlobo lwegazi oludingekayo olufana neziguli ze-sickle cell. Cabanga ngokuthi igazi lakho lingaba elikhethekile kangakanani kumuntu onesidingo esikhethekile. Lapho abantu abanikelayo bebaningi, kuba yilapho kutholakala khona ukuphakela okwengeziwe, bese kuba khona abanikelayo abengeziwe ukuze basize ekunakekeleni izidingo eziyingqayizivele.
Ungaphinde ucabange ngokunikela ngegazi ngokuzuza kuwe. Ukunikela kufana nokuhlola ukuphila kahle kwamahhala - umfutho wegazi lakho, ukushaya kwenhliziyo, nezinga lokushisa kuyathathwa, futhi inani lakho lensimbi ne-cholesterol kuyahlolwa. Uthola lowo muzwa ofudumele ongacacile ngokwenza okuhle. Kukunikeza okuhlukile ongakusho uma ubuzwa ukuthi ubuphezu kwaziphi muva nje. Ungakwazi ukwengeza "ukusindisa impilo" ohlwini lwezinto ezifeziwe zosuku. Umzimba wakho ugcwalisa lokho okunikezayo; amangqamuzana akho abomvu egazi ayashintshwa cishe emasontweni ayisithupha ukuze ukwazi ukupha ngaphandle kokungawatholi unomphela. Ngibona ukunikela ngegazi njengomsebenzi womphakathi olula ongawenza. Uhlezi esihlalweni kuyilapho umuntu oyedwa noma ababili bebanga ingalo yakho bese ujabulela ukudla okulula. Cabanga ukuthi ingcosana yesikhathi sakho ingaguquka kanjani ibe iminyaka yokuphila komunye umuntu.
Eminyakeni embalwa edlule, ngaphuma ehhovisi likadokotela wezingane ukuze ngithole incwadi ephepheni langaphambili lemoto yami. Owesifazane owashiya leli pheshana wayebone isitika efasiteleni elingemuva lomgibeli wami esasikhuluma ngokunikela ngegazi. Incwadi yayifundeka kanje: “(Ngibone isitika sakho somnikeli wegazi) Indodana yami eneminyaka eyisithupha yasindiswa eminyakeni emithathu edlule. namuhla ngonikela ngegazi. Uqale ibanga lokuqala namuhla, ngibonga abantu abafana nawe. Ngenhliziyo yami yonke - Ngiyabonga wena futhi kwangathi uNkulunkulu angakubusisa ngokujulile.”
Ngemva kweminyaka emithathu lo mama wayesawuzwa umthelela wegazi elisindisa ukuphila endodaneni yakhe futhi ukubonga kwakunamandla ngokwanele ukumshukumisela ukuba abhalele umuntu angamazi inothi. Bengijabule futhi namanje ngisabonga ngokuba ngumamukeli walelo nothi. Ngicabanga ngalomama nendodana, futhi ngicabanga ngezimpilo zangempela ezithintwa ukunikela ngegazi. Ngiyethemba nawe uyacabanga ngakho . . . futhi unikeze igazi.
Imithombo