Blood runs thicker in family's veins

IT is a unique family tradition, by all means.

-  HARINI M

The urge to donate blood runs deep in the veins of the Prabhakaran family. Since his childhood days, P Ganesh (43) from Virudhunagar vividly recalls how "blood donation" has been a constant refrain in his household.

For his father, VPS Prabhakaran, it is like a life mission. The 63-yearold never missed an opportunity to spread awareness, be it to his relatives at family functions or the customers who visit his shop.

An entrepreneur who manufactures benzoin and sells country drugs, Prabhakaran's blood donation journey began at the age of 23.

For over four decades now, he has donated blood a whopping 184 times. He recollects his first donation, spurred by a sign at a government hospital in Chennai that urged people to donate: it read "Ratha Dhanam Seiveer". "In those days, awareness about blood donation was minimal," he says.