Meet the Indian expat in UAE, 51, who has donated blood 105 times

Ajman: On May 31, Indian expat Babu V quietly marked his 51st birthday the way he has marked many milestones over the past two and a half decades in the UAE. He rolled up his right sleeve at the Dubai Blood Donation Centre and gave blood. It was his 105th donation.

Babu V, popularly known as Babu Milano among the UAE's Kerala expat community, has turned what began as a single act of compassion into a lifelong mission that has kept strangers alive across the country.

The Ajman resident, who runs a general trading company, drives to Dubai almost every 2 weeks: not for business, but to donate platelets.

Of his 105 donations, around 80 to 85 have been at the Dubai Blood Donation Centre (DBDC) alone, with the rest at other centres and camps, Babu told Gulf News on Sunday, June 14, observed as World Blood Donor Day.

"When we are alive, we have to help others, and blood donation is something most people can do without any financial commitment," he said.

"We are not losing anything. So even if only one person benefits, it is worth it."

What sets Babu apart from many donors is that he primarily donates platelets through a process he described as Single Donor Platelet Infusion (SDPI).

He said it is far more demanding than a standard blood donation.

While the actual blood draw during a whole blood donation takes roughly 8 to 10 minutes, he said a platelet donation session lasts more than an hour.

Babu described it as being similar to a dialysis process, with a larger syringe and three tubes: one draws blood, the second separates the platelets, and the third returns the remaining blood to the donor's body.

Platelets can typically be stored for only five to seven days, compared with up to 42 days for donated red blood cells, which is why the need for regular donors is relentless, he pointed out.

Cancer patients, those undergoing bone marrow transplants, and people with conditions such as thalassemia are among those who depend on platelet transfusions to survive.

However, not everyone qualifies to donate; centres check each donor's platelet count before every session to ensure eligibility. "By God's grace, I always have a high count," says Babu, who donates every 15 days.

None of this has come easily to him. Even after 105 donations, Babu admits he still winces, and sometimes cries, each time the needle goes in. Finding his vein is never straightforward; only his right arm works.

"Every time I do this, I cry out in pain," he says with a quiet laugh. "But when I get a call from DBDC on the 14th day reminding me to donate the next day, I forget all my pain and tension and just go."

Babu's instinct to serve began long before he arrived in the UAE in 1997. Back in Kerala, he spent a decade as secretary of a pain and palliative care organisation and was active in several charities. Blood donation was already part of his life. The UAE simply gave him more opportunity to continue.

His first donation was prompted by a friend's mother who was hospitalised for surgery and needed B+ blood, his own blood group, Babu recalled.

"After that, I realised the importance of blood donation, especially platelets…I will continue to donate till my last breath,” he said.

The spirit of giving has spread within his own home. His wife is also a donor. So are his elder children aged 22 and 20. Together, the family of five has made blood donation something close to a shared identity.

Since his fifth donation, Babu has been posting about each visit on Facebook. After joining the Blood  Donors Kerala UAE volunteer group, his posts began drawing questions, encouragement, and company. "People ask me to take them along. I consider it a great blessing if I can bring even one person with me each time,” he said

He is also a quiet argument against the fears that hold many people back. "People are scared because of a lack of knowledge. I am living proof that your health will not be hit. Instead, it helps. New cells keep forming in the body. And before every donation, at least seven tests are done. That itself is an assurance that there is nothing wrong with your blood."

Somewhere in the UAE, Babu's blood is flowing through the veins of people he will never meet. A single platelet donation, he has been told, can help up to three patients. He has donated in emergencies and once helped track down a rare A-negative blood group for a struggling relative through an app in Kerala.

"Till we need it, we don't realise its value. Only when you have to run around looking for a specific blood group does it hit you," he added.

World Blood Donor Day falls on June 14 each year. For Babu Milano, every 15th day already is.