Can I choose my blood donor, or the type of blood, for a transfusion?

Most hospitals do not allow this, although there are no medical reservations against it. First court decisions from Italy, Germany but also from the canton of Thurgau (Switzerland) unfortunately support the practice of the hospitals and state that a patient cannot determine the blood donor himself – only blood reserves are used, usually supplied by the Red Cross. Recently, a hospital in the canton of Graubünden (Switzerland) even refused to allow a patient to donate her own blood before a planned operation – a practice that was absolutely common until Corona. What one would actually consider a human right, namely, for example, to designate a relative as a blood donor, is thus denied to us. The legal situation is diffuse and we must be prepared for a long struggle to achieve a breakthrough for this human right. Since we are going up against the entire medical and political establishment, we can expect a lot of headwinds. The only thing we can promise at the moment is that we will keep at it – we will not give up. First welcome news: In the state of Texas, patients are already free to choose the type of blood (including the blood donor) – so they are one step ahead of us. But we will get there – with your help.