Foreigner sets up blood donation scheme

The Korea Times

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Foreigner sets up blood donation scheme

Posted : 2010-05-04 17:32

Updated : 2010-05-04 17:32

Members of the new non-profit group Blood Connections, including Canadian Marie Frenette, left, plan to work with the Korean Red Cross by producing English language material on blood donation and encouraging regular donations. The group held its first meeting Sunday.

/ Courtesy of Blood Connections

By J.R. Breen
Contributing writer

In the wake of the death of a 19-year-old Korean youth, Jeon Yoo-woon, from lymphoma, an expatriate in Korea has set up a group to encourage blood donations in Korea.

The group, which has yet to be registered, is a non-profit organization, called Blood Connections, and has been established by Marie Frenette, a Canadian who lives in Seoul.

``We want to assist the Korean Red Cross, and produce materials in English and hopefully other languages to state clearly the rules when it comes to donating blood,'' Frenette said. ``And we also set up a program to encourage those who can donate blood to commit to donating on a regular basis, every two months or so.''

Jeon passed away two weeks ago after a one month battle with lymphoma, a cancer of the blood. Jeon was in constant need of platelet donations, the part of the blood which causes it to clot.

However, because his blood type was RH B negative, extremely rare in Koreans, it proved difficult to get sufficient donations, even after Frenette began a campaign among the expat community.

``We just want to make sure that if what happened with Yoo-woon happens again there is a decided upon procedure in place, so we know what to do,'' Frenette said.

Blood Connections had their first meeting on Sunday, which eight people attended. They plan to hold their next meeting on June 6 in Sinchon, Seoul.

Of the materials they plan to produce, one will be in Korean for the nurses at blood donation clinics fully explaining the rules for dealing with foreigners, and the other in English to explain to foreigners the rules and regulations for donating.

Frenette, who has the same blood type as Jeon, said that as she plans to stay in Korea permanently and possibly have children she is also fears for her own health.

``I realized I shouldn't just be happy that I could help this boy, I should be scared. If I walked out on the street and got hit by a car I could be in real danger (because of my blood type),'' she said. ``I don't think anyone has thought okay these one million foreigners are here, what services might they need which we don't have in Korea.

"If it happens that I cannot be the head of an NGO in Korea then I will let one of the Koreans in our group be the head. I would prefer it that way actually," she said.

Jeon's father, Jeon Jeong-woo, has become a volunteer member of the Korean Red Cross and fully supports Blood Connections, Frenette said. He will also be acting as a liaison between the group and the Red Cross.

``We want to educate people,'' Frenette said. ``I hope enough people will collaborate so we can feel like we have made a difference.''

jrbreen@koreatimes.co.kr