Biography
Meet Katie, a Deputy Director in the Supervision (Anti-Money Laundering/ Anti-Terrorist Financing) Department. We interviewed her to learn more about her reasons for giving back to the community. Take a moment to read her story.
Please provide the name of the initiative cause and how long have you been involved?
I have been a donor to the Bermuda Blood Donor Centre for the last twelve years.
Why did you choose to support it?
In 2011, a close family member was diagnosed with a disorder and needed frequent transfusions to stay alive. This made me realise how dependent the hospital is on blood donations, not only for my family member, but for many others in the community.
Overall, what is the charitable organisation’s mission and how does it make a difference to the people/cause it aims to help?
The Centre’s mission is to ‘give blood, give life’. Although Bermuda is a small island, the need for life-saving blood donations is great.
When a patient needs a transfusion, the need is usually immediate, and the hospital must have a ready supply of all blood types to accommodate the patient quickly.
Blood donations are used to treat individuals with cancer and heart disease, as well as accident or burn victims.
What is your specific contribution to the initiative/cause and how have you made an impact to the people/cause it aims to help?
I donate blood as frequently as I can. Over 80% of our population has a positive blood type, which means that O-positive donors like me are in high demand.
The donation process is simple, painless and only takes half an hour. Each donation has the potential to save up to three lives.
How does your charitable involvement align with the BMA’s core values?
Donating blood is aligned with our BMA goal of ‘We Care’ for our colleagues and others in our community. Donating is a great way to help others and it gives me satisfaction to know that I have made a difference in someone’s life.
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