LETTER: The blood of human kindness

From Dr Forest Hansen

Sir: Having regularly donated blood in America during much of our adult lives, my wife and I were surprised and offended by Louise Jury's contrast (Section Two; "Death by a thousand cuts", 11 January) of British donors with those in the US, "where donors participate ... for money".

Only a small minority donate blood for money - mostly the unemployed in large cities. Even that number has probably diminished in recent years because of HIV and hepatitis contamination.

The great majority are like British donors, giving "out of the goodness of their hearts" and expecting that the blood will be used in their home areas for those in need. Regular blood drives are held at colleges and universities as well as in business offices, and greater numbers of people typically respond with donations in emergencies.

There, as here, the giving of blood is one of those all too rare acts of pure altruism.

Yours sincerely,

Forest Hansen

Alvechurch,

Worcestershire

11 January