Vietnamese businessman gives blood 78 times, registers to donate organs, body after death

Hoa, 51, shared that each time he gives blood, he feels happy knowing he has done something meaningful.

According to him, while patients can buy medicine, they can only receive life-saving blood through other people.

"Blood can’t be manufactured, which makes donating it all the more necessary," he said.

"After donating, I always feel healthy and normal. 

"I just hope this small act inspires more people to share, so the blood supply remains sufficient and available when it’s most needed." 

Hoa vividly remembers his first donation in 1994, during his second year of university. 

While on the street, he witnessed a traffic accident and, without hesitation, helped bring the victim to the hospital.

He even used the little money he had earned from tutoring to pay an advance for the hospital bill. 

Misunderstood by the victim’s family as the cause of the accident, he was nearly assaulted before another witness clarified the situation.

Doctors informed him that the victim needed blood for surgery, and the hospital was actively searching for donors. 

Upon learning he shared the same blood type, Hoa volunteered immediately.

"I didn’t think twice. I wasn’t scared. I just wanted to help someone in need," he recalled.

Afterward, he learned that donating blood had no negative effect on his health. 

Since then, he has regularly visited the Blood Donation Center under the Ho Chi Minh City Red Cross Society three to four times a year to give blood.

When the Ho Chi Minh City Red Cross Society established a reserve blood donor team, Hoa was among the first to sign up.

In those early days, whenever there was an urgent request for blood, he and other team members rushed to the hospital.

If the patients were in financial distress, they would even contribute money to help with hospital costs, offering not just blood but encouragement as well.

"I try to stay healthy so I can keep donating. I never expect anything in return. To me, giving blood is a way to contribute to saving lives," Hoa said.

Spreading kindness

Hoa has also encouraged family and friends to join him in donating blood. His wife has accompanied him many times.

"Once, I heard my children ask when they’d be old enough to donate blood like their father," he said.

"I was touched and proud. All I want is for them to grow up to be kind, caring people and willing to share what they have to help others."

For Hoa, blood donation has become a personal mission and a way of life. 

Even during the COVID-19 outbreak, when blood shortages were common, he and his wife still made the decision to donate.

He continues this work quietly, as a part of his daily life and passion.

Even the small gifts typically given to blood donors are passed on to people in need that he meets on the street.

"Just donating blood already fills me with peace and joy," he said.

In 2011, Hoa officially registered to donate his body to science after death. 

He chose the University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City, saying, "Even after death, I want to do something meaningful and contribute to medical research and education."

To fulfill this wish, he had to spend time persuading his family to support his decision.

Not stopping there, both he and his wife have also registered to donate their organs after death. 

When he first shared this plan, some relatives questioned his decision, wondering why he was thinking about death at a young age.

"But after being told that donated bodies are used for training medical students, I felt even more determined to honor this wish," Hoa said.

Preparing for 79th blood donation

Just after returning from a trip to Hanoi, Hoa shared that he was ready for his 79th blood donation on June 16.

He said he has always admired how people in some countries line up to donate blood in the aftermath of disasters, and hopes Vietnamese people can adopt a more open mindset about blood donation, seeing it as a civic responsibility.

"My goal is to donate 100 times before I turn 60, because after that, I won’t be eligible to give anymore," said the 51-year-old man.

“I’m still perfectly healthy after donating blood, and I want to remind others of that. I hope more people will join in and share their life-saving blood."