Unostentatious heroes
The Slovak Red Cross (SRC) acknowledged the blood donors of Košice – Environs district at a recent celebratory meeting in the bridal hall at the municipal offices of Košice – Old Town city ward. More than forty non-contributory blood donors met here on Thursday November 12 in order to receive MUDr. Jan Janský silver, gold, and diamond plaques, as well as the highest appreciation, the Prof. Kňazovický medal for at least a hundred blood collections.
This event, attended by the Chairwoman of the SRC Košice – Environs Territorial Association Viera Sochová, the chief physician of the National Transfusion Service of the Slovak Republic, Košice branch Jitka Mačalová and the Director of the SRC Košice – Environs Territorial Association Helena Kmetzová, again naturally involved the participation of steelmakers. The organizers’ words of respect referred to them, as well as to all the other donors present, many of whom were accompanied by close family and friends. The donors’ exceptionality and high ethical profile as well as their unlimited selflessness were emphasized in the speeches. The blood donors, these unostentatious heroes are in the today’s world of indifference, as expressed by V. Sochová, the hope for solidarity. They deserve great acknowledgement for their help to others in emergencies.
Among other colleagues from U. S. Steel Košice we caught sight of Teodor Dringuš from Čečejovce, whom we had met the last time at a similar occasion in 2013, when he received a Janský diamond plaque. He had by then undergone 95 non-contributory blood collections, and this time he was already due for the Kňazovický medal, appertaining to him for a hundred blood collections. “I already had my hundred and first collection a week ago,” said a tool-maker from the Mechanics Division, where he is already working his thirty-fourth year. As he added, some more, at least four collections are behind him now, however, records of them are missing. It doesn’t matter, we replied, what he had achieved was already a fantastic thing. We’ll disclose moreover that he had even donated haematoblasts several times. As for donoring, he still hasn’t said the last word. “If I am healthy, I wish to continue,” he declared in his wife’s and daughter’s presence. He also brought his son to the session, and he was possibly an example to some of his younger colleagues in the shop, who have also been showing their humanity this way.
Let us just add to the above that another of a couple of the most highly regarded was Jozef Hudák from Seňa, about whom it became clear only afterwards that he also had something in common with our company. He had worked here until 2008 as an antigas technician within the Fire Brigade. He is engaged in this profession also at present, as he is employed as an operational officer with another firefighting unit, but now outside of U. S. Steel Košice. Since 1977 he has donated blood a hundred times.
Štefan Recsky from Turňa nad Bodvou was going away from the meeting with a Janský gold plaque for forty non-contributory blood collections. “The beginnings of donoring for me, and likewise for many men, are exactly connected with the period of of serving compulsory military service. I returned to donoring after a short break sometime in the eighties. And I have never ceased going since then. I have a good feeling from knowing that I help, because blood is becoming a scarcity after all,” observed this engine-driver from the Transport Division. He also disclosed that his wife was also a multiple blood donor, now just a single blood collection away from a Janský gold plaque.
Multiple blood donors can also be found among the women steelmakers. One of them is Monika Bartóková from the Steel Plants Division, who received a Janský gold plaque at the celebratory meeting. Women are granted it for thirty non-contributory blood collections. “I first joined the blood donors when still at my former workplace in the pipe welding shop, where I had started after finishing university. Blood collections were collectively organized then and I wanted to try it too. Since that time I have regularly donated blood,” we learned from this pleasant Ždaňa citizen. “I am glad that my older son has started following in my footsteps, as he joined the donors during the last year of secondary school,” the proud mother added.
Pupils from Budimír elementary school livened up the pleasurable meeting with a short musical program.
