For many blood donors, the act of blood donation is closely aligned with their desire to do good and a willingness to give up a part of themselves to help save lives.

For 18-year-old Yeoh Lin Feng, the motivation to do the same also stems from a deeply personal experience.

 “I was 5 years old when I had to undergo treatment for anaplastic large cell lymphoma [a rare type of cancer that involves an abnormal growth of white blood cells], and for the next 5 years, I received multiple blood transfusions of red blood cells and platelets because either one was low due to my chemotherapy,” says Lin Feng.

“My chemotherapy would probably not have been possible without those transfusions, so I am aware of how important blood donation is to patients who are receiving medical treatment.”

Back then, the idea of receiving donated blood was something that Lin Feng could not quite grasp, except that he often felt fatigued and had to rely on his mother to explain what he was going through: “I remember getting tired after each blood transfusion but when I asked my mom, she said it was probably due to my low red-cell count, and not because of the transfusion.

“And I didn’t understand much about blood transfusion, only that she told me the blood I was receiving had been donated by other people.”

One thing he did grasp, though, was the warmth and care shown by the staff during his stay in the hospital, along with the support he received from Make-A-Wish Singapore.

“The nurses and doctors were super-kind and caring. The nurses even bought me a gift (a Power Rangers toy) with their own money for my birthday. And Make-A-Wish Singapore provided me with a new Lego set every few days to play with, which kept me occupied and really helped me get through my treatment then. I thought that if I could have this much fun while undergoing this treatment, then it was probably alright.”

After his treatment ended, and as he became more aware of the importance of blood transfusions in certain medical procedures, including chemotherapy, Lin Feng realised he wanted to also help others through blood donation. But when he turned 16 (the minimum age for blood donation), he learnt that he was ineligible to do so (as individuals who have had cancer or a history of cancer are ineligible to donate blood in Singapore). Still, the JC student was not deterred.

“Even though I can’t donate blood, I can advocate for blood donation by sharing my story. I have also asked my family and friends (and for them to ask their families) to give blood because their blood could one day save the life of someone else’s sibling, friend, or schoolmate as someone’s blood had helped saved mine.”

Learn more about how blood is used in Singapore

Check out Make-A-Wish Singapore.