Reporter's diary: Serving public with every drop of his blood

CHENNAI: The first time M Iyyappan donated blood was after he joined the police service in 2003 to help the relative of a fellow cop. On Sunday, Iyappan, a head constable with Vepery traffic police station donated blood for the 13th time at Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital.

Iyyappan’s good deed was immediately appreciated by his peers and family members, who are well aware of his bend for social service. Apart from donating blood, the 42-year-old has also engaged in preparing and distributing food for those affected during the 2015 floods.

Iyyappan whose blood group is ‘O’ positive responds to all messages he receives. If he was unable to help at that moment, he arranges for help. His off-duty services have brought him great satisfaction and at times, anguish too.

“Once, I donated blood at Egmore Children’s Hospital for a policeman’s kid with cancer. The kid pulled through for a year. I was upset when I learnt that the kid died a year later,” Iyyappan recalled.

Over the years, Iyyappan has accumulated certificates of appreciation, which were issued to blood donors usually. His latest deed has brought him appreciation from the top brass, which has made his day. Subverting superstitions, the 13th time has proven lucky for this traffic cop.

When Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic), Kapilkumar C Saratkar congratulated Iyyappan for his good deedthe Good Samaritan called it a morale booster.