For 39-year-old CRPF jawan Ashok Kumar, having the rarest blood group among humans is a blessing which led him to instinctively save a life.
The head constable and radio operator of the 72nd battalion of the paramilitary force based in Sunderbani, Jammu on Wednesday donated blood to a 69-year-old resident of Poonch, a border town along the India-Pak Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir, who had the same uncommon blood group.
The family of Nazir Hussain sent an SOS to the Kashmir-based CRPF 'madadgaar' helpline on social media stating that they were in urgent need of 'AB negative' blood for the man, who suffers from chronic kidney problem.
The CRPF helpline got into action and quickly went through its database to find out if anyone in its Jammu-based units had the rare blood group.
"I am the only person in my battalion who has AB negative blood group and when my commandant asked me to volunteer, I was more than happy to do so," Kumar told PTI over phone.
He said he was provided a vehicle by his unit and he rushed to the Poonch district hospital where Hussain was undergoing dialysis and his relatives were eagerly waiting for help to arrive.
"I salute and shall be indebted to the 72 battalion of the CRPF forever and especially to brother Ashok Kumar who came as an angel and saved a life by donating his precious and invaluable bloodtimely in this hard time and proved that humanity never dies," Hussain's grandson Adalat Khan said in a message sent to the force.
As 'AB negative' is a very rare blood group it was almost impossible to get it through donation, Khan said. He said no units of this group were available at the blood bank and no one in their family has this blood type.
That was when they decided to seek the help of 'madadgaar', he said.
Head constable Kumar said he got to know that he had such a rare blood group during his recruitment in the force in 2003.
"I had then also donated my blood to a colleague when I just entered the force. Why should one hesitate to help when god has bestowed them with such a rare blessing?" the trooper from Bihar's Arwal district said.
"It is the motto of my force to help and serve the people and that was all I did," Kumar said.
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