Have A Heart - Abi-Gaye Smythe urges Jamaicans to donate blood

Many families across Jamaica have mourned loved ones who could have been saved by an infusion of blood.

It's a painful reality that 33-year-old heart disease survivor Abi-Gaye Smythe refuses to accept as normal.

"Don't wait until you are in the position where you need it, or a loved one needs it and it's an emergency. Donate blood, and do it regularly," Smythe urged.

As founder and managing director of the I Have A Heart (iHAH) Foundation, Smythe has made it her life's mission to transform how Jamaicans view blood donation -- turning personal struggle into a national call to action.

On September 27, her foundation hosted its 13th blood drive at Emancipation Park in New Kingston, collecting 76 units of blood from 111 registered donors.

"At one point, the turnout was so overwhelming that the National Blood Transfusion Service (NBTS) temporarily ran out of blood bags and had to restock on site. It was the largest total from any iHAH drive to date and the second-highest collection for NBTS this year," she said.

Smythe recalled the years when her drives barely yielded a handful of pints.

"I know that every day won't be the same on this journey, [and] there will be some disappointments along the way, and the only way there will be improvements is if I learn to deal with the failure and try to improve each time."

Those early setbacks never stopped her. Smythe launched the initiative in late 2018 after her doctor encouraged her to use her voice to rally blood donors for patients in need of free heart surgeries.

Living with arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia (ARVD) -- a rare and life-threatening heart condition -- Smythe has undergone multiple cardiac surgeries and continues to live with an implanted defibrillator that monitors her heartbeat every second.

"The need for blood has been hitting close to home for many people in recent years," she explained. "More people are battling or know someone battling illnesses that require transfusions - like cancer, heart disease, kidney disease, sickle cell, blood disorders. There are accident victims, mothers who lose blood after childbirth, newborn and premature babies. The supply is still not meeting the daily demand, but it's a start."

She recalled a recent experience that underscores the importance of readiness.

"The family member's kids and siblings went [to give blood] and couldn't donate for various reasons. And I could then call my rep at the Blood Bank and tell her that this person donated at the recent blood drive, and they want to give their unit to their family member who's at 'XYZ' hospital. And just like that, the paperwork was done and the person get the blood. That's what I'm always saying - stay ready, so you don't have to get ready," she said.

Her story reflects a national challenge. According to the NBTS, Jamaica collects roughly 30,000 units of blood each year, though public health needs hover around 60,000 units. About three-quarters of donations still come from "replacement donors" -- people giving blood for friends or relatives -- instead of consistent voluntary donors.

That gap, Smythe said, fuels her determination to expand awareness and access.

"The foundation's platform has grown. We can now invest in marketing and promotion, so the message is reaching more people," she said. "People are realising that blood donation isn't just about saving strangers, it's about saving ourselves, our friends, our family."

Through partnerships with organisations such as Margin to Centre, which focuses on healthcare for marginalised women, and with sponsorship from various local companies, iHAH has so far collected 354 units of blood, potentially saving more than 1,000 lives. Still, Smythe admits that sustaining the work takes more than passion.

"I want to do some campaigns, but we need funding. We need more sponsors," she said.