ABOUT 20 people turned out in Navua yesterday to donate blood for 10-year-old Aiden Rao, a young boy battling a rare and dangerous bleeding condition.
The blood drive, held outside the Navua Post Office from 10am, saw residents from across the area step up in a strong show of community spirit.
Aiden’s father, Bernard Rao, said the donations were crucial.
“Blood donations are the only thing that can make him better,” Mr Rao said.
“It is especially scary when he’s in pain, as no parent wants to see their kid in that kind of pain.”
Aiden suffers from FTJ hemophilia — a rare bleeding disorder that means even minor bumps can lead to life-threatening internal bleeding.
In his case, he’s battling a mass internal bleed near his groin.
Because of hemophilia, any procedure such as draining the mass or surgery is risky.
He added that ongoing national medicine shortage and Fiji’s rising non-communicable disease (NCD) crisis made it harder to find donors.
“With our current medical shortages and health crisis, we find it hard to get donors.”
Aiden is currently on antibiotics, but doctors say he urgently needs cryoprecipitate (kryo) — a blood product derived from plasma, to stabilise the bleeding.
The family has not set a specific donation target but hopes support will continue.
“We just hope people can come and give blood.”
Mr Rao is also calling for greater public awareness of FTJ hemophilia, a condition many are unfamiliar with despite its serious implications.
The family remains hopeful that continued blood donations and medical care will see Aiden recover and return home soon.
