A CORK MAN has started nominating friends through Facebook to donate blood after hearing of his best friend’s cancer diagnosis.

Less than two weeks ago, 35-year-old David McCarthy was told that his friend Pete Morrissy had bone marrow cancer.

“I was upset like, but he’s actually been very strong-minded about it,” he said. ”When I went up and was talking to him he put me at ease, I thought he’d be more upset but he knows what’s wrong and he’s getting treatment.”

I was thinking, he needs a lot of blood transfusions and I used to give it before – I stopped about a year and a half ago. I was thinking of the ‘Neknomination’ and thought I might as well try to even get a couple of people in so I said it to Pete and he said yeah.

McCarthy posted his ‘Bloodnomination’ online and nominated friends to do it and four or five people in the last week have also gone to give blood in the local Cork donation clinic.

“When I was talking to the nurse, she was saying the summer is the quietest time for giving blood so if it’d get more people to do it it’d be great,” he said. “They’re not just donating blood, people are donating platelets too and it makes a big difference.”

It can be scary enough giving blood but when you give it you feel better.

McCarthy said he would encourage people all across the country to jump on board the ‘Bloodnomination’ bandwagon in honour of his best friend and other cancer patients who will benefit from it.

Read: Tracing The Blood Line: Here’s what happens to your blood after you donate>

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