VADODARA: When his daughter got married on Sunday, the guests didn’t turn up with gifts. Instead many queued up to donate blood and pledged to donate their bodies. Having campaigned for blood and organ donation all his life, Dr R B Bhesania made it sure that he took up the cause even during his daughter’s wedding. Over 370 people donated blood during the wedding organized on the outskirts of the city.

“The idea was to spread awareness about donating blood and organs. Wedding is an auspicious occasion to make people understand the importance of life. My daughter Dhvani and son-in-law Jay Pandya (both doctors) readily agreed to donate their blood on the wedding day. It was the best wedding gift for us,” Bhesania said.

He has also registered the event for Guinness Book of World Records and Limca Book of Records. “We had decided not to give any gold or valuables to our daughter. Instead, we asked the couple to take a pledge they would donate their blood and body as well. The couple also took the pledge that they won’t support female foeticide, stay away from tobacco products and encourage others for blood and organ donation,” Bhesania said.

Members of Muslim community also donated blood during the wedding as a mark of communal harmony. The doctor had organized a similar donation camp during his son Siddharth’s wedding in 2011. Bhesania set the trend of organizing blood donation camps during weddings and condolence meetings in the state. He has organized such camps at dozens of social occasions in Gujarat including the conservative Saurashtra region.

