Bhubaneswar: What began as a family tragedy has transformed into a noble mission of saving lives through blood donation for Siddheshwar Acharya (44), a resident of Dhauli near the city.
Acharya’s journey began after witnessing his sister’s struggle, who required 35 blood transfusions while suffering from blood cancer and her subsequent death. The tragic experience left an indelible mark on him, inspiring a commitment to ensure others don’t face similar challenges to collect blood.
“The self-satisfaction from donating blood is unmatched,” said Acharya, who has donated blood 25 times and platelets five times since starting his mission in 2018. “It’s my way of repaying the debt of blood my sister received during her time of need.”
Born to Gobardhan and Satyabhama Acharya, Siddheshwar developed a strong sense of social responsibility from an early age. His commitment to community service manifested through various artistic endeavours, including village plays, television appearances and radio programmes aimed at raising social awareness.
His efforts have earned him numerous accolades at district, block and state levels for both his artistic contributions and social service. However, it’s his work in organising blood donation camps that has made the most significant impact on the community.
“There is a misconception that donating blood would affect one’s health, but it is absolutely wrong. We struggled to arrange blood when my sister, then 21, was suffering from blood cancer. I have tried my best to improve awareness level among people,” Acharya said.
Beyond blood donation, Acharya has initiated ‘Mission Cloth Donation’ to collect new and used clothing from households for distribution in tribal areas across the state.
Acharya aims to expand his mission by creating a network of blood donors in both rural and urban areas. “Our goal is to meet the future demand for blood and ensure no one suffers due to shortage,” he explained.
He said that during the Covid-19 pandemic, there was significant scarcity of blood. “We gathered volunteers then and visited various hospitals across Bhubaneswar despite the Covid threat and donated blood wherever required,” he said.
Through his efforts, Acharya is not only honouring his sister’s struggle but also building a sustainable solution to blood shortage.