In 1992, V Radhakrishna Reddy was having a meal at a hotel in Karimnagar when he noticed a young worker who looked visibly distressed.
Curious, he asked what was wrong.
The man told him that his mother, who was battling cancer, urgently needed blood and the family had no way to arrange it.
Reddy did not know them and had no obligation to help. But moved by their situation, he decided to donate blood himself.
That single decision, made after a chance conversation, set him on a path of service that has continued for more than three decades.
A small act that grew into a movement
What began as a one-time gesture soon became a habit, and then a mission.
Reddy started donating blood regularly and encouraged others, especially young people, to do the same. He spoke to students, held awareness sessions, and worked to remove the fear and hesitation that often prevent people from becoming donors.
Over time, his individual effort grew into something much larger.
Today, as the district secretary of the Red Cross Society in Karimnagar, Reddy coordinates a network of donors made up of friends, volunteers and community members who respond to emergency requests for blood across the district.
Families searching for specific blood groups, particularly rare ones, often turn to his team for help.
Over the years, his efforts have helped facilitate nearly 3,500 litres of blood donations — an impact built largely through personal outreach and word of mouth.
Reddy himself has O positive blood, one of the most commonly needed blood groups during emergencies.
Encouraging young people to step forward
A key part of Reddy’s work has been inspiring young people to become regular donors.
He believes that once people understand how simple the process is and how many lives it can save, they are often willing to donate again.
“I encourage youth to donate blood. There is immense satisfaction in knowing that a patient has survived because of a blood donation. It gives us great happiness,” he says.
For many first-time donors, that feeling stays with them long after they leave the donation centre — the knowledge that a simple act of kindness may have changed the course of someone else’s life.
It is this message that Reddy has spent more than 30 years sharing with the people of Karimnagar.
Beyond blood donation
Reddy’s commitment to public health extends beyond donor drives.
Under his guidance, the Red Cross Society in Karimnagar has adopted around 15 underprivileged tuberculosis patients in the district, providing them with monthly grocery support to help improve their nutrition during treatment.
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The organisation also conducts cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) awareness programmes to teach people a skill that can save lives during medical emergencies.
CPR helps keep blood circulating when a person’s heart stops beating, buying precious time until professional medical help arrives.
A legacy of service
More than three decades after that chance meeting in a hotel, Reddy continues to work much as he did when he first began — through direct, personal involvement rather than recognition or headlines.
For him, the motivation remains simple.
A stranger’s distress once moved him to roll up his sleeve and donate blood.
Today, that same instinct continues to inspire hundreds of others in Karimnagar to do the same, one donation at a time.
Images courtesy of Red Cross of India
Sources:
‘Karimnagar’s donor extraordinaire‘: by Naveen Kumar Tallam for The New Indian Express, Published on 21 June 2026
‘Voluntary blood donation in India: Achievements, expectations and challenges‘: by National Library of Medicine (PMC)
‘India strengthens blood safety for universal access and quality-assured blood services‘: by World Health Organization, Published on 17 December 2025
‘India launches community support scheme for ‘adopting’ TB patients, providing nutritional assistance‘: by Down To Earth, Published on 9 September 2022
‘Blood Services‘: by Indian Red Cross Society
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: thebetterindia.com
