From the drop of blood sows the seeds of love

For Mr. Doan Xuan Loc (born in 1994 in Que Xuan 2 commune, Que Son district, Quang Nam province - now Xuan Phu commune, Da Nang city), the drops of blood not only save the lives of patients but also are the seeds that nurture faith and spread kindness in society.

The journey begins with an emergency call

In 2012, after leaving high school, Loc went to Da Nang to study at university and regularly participated in Youth Union activities. In 2016, he graduated and started working for the Youth Union in Que Xuan 2 commune, Que Son district, Quang Nam (old). At that time, the voluntary blood donation movement among local youth was still quite new, but Loc quickly found a mission for himself there.

His most unforgettable memory was one early morning, the phone rang loudly, on the other end was a patient's family member at the Da Nang Maternity and Pediatrics Hospital asking for help: "Sir, my child urgently needs blood, please help me!". Without thinking, Loc immediately called a few young people from the Que Xuan 2 Live Blood Bank Club and rushed to the hospital. However, when he arrived, a sudden text message came: "Thank you, my child is dead".

At that moment, Loc was speechless. He said: "Just a few minutes later, a life would have been lost. From then on, I understood how precious emergency blood donation is." It was that torment that urged him to persevere on the journey of donating blood for more than a decade.

Từ giọt máu hồng gieo mầm yêu thương - Ảnh 1. — Doan Xuan Loc received a Certificate of Merit from the Central Committee of the Vietnam Youth Union.

"Fire Keeper" of Que Xuan 2 Live Blood Bank

Que Xuan 2 Live Blood Bank Club was established in 2011, originating from a true story: on the 29th of Tet in 2010, when a local female union member fell into critical condition due to anemia, nearly 20 young people immediately left their New Year's Eve dinner, traveled more than 40 km to Da Nang to donate blood to save her life.

From that gesture, the club was born, gathering volunteer hearts, ready to give at any time the patient needs. Joining the club since 2012, Loc gradually became one of the core members, holding the role of Vice Chairman and then Chairman of the club, in charge of mobilizing and connecting emergency blood donations. If on the first day of launching, the club had 45 members, now that number has increased to 150. That is not only a growth in numbers but also a testament to the spreading power of voluntary blood donation in the community. Loc is one of the "fire-bearers", contributing to igniting the spirit of solidarity so that more and more young people are willing to give their blood.

Over the past 14 years, he and his members have contributed over 1,500 units of warm blood to patients in and outside the locality, providing timely support for hundreds of emergency, accident, and obstetric cases. Notably, since the beginning of 2025 alone, the Club has promptly mobilized and provided over 200 units of warm blood to major hospitals in the region. "Wherever there is a patient in need, day or night, we try to be there," Loc shared.

Từ giọt máu hồng gieo mầm yêu thương - Ảnh 2. — Doan Xuan Loc is a vivid demonstration of the power of youth when they know how to live for the community.

The silence after a long journey

Not every trip ends with a smile. Loc still remembers a late night in 2019, when he and two other members rushed to Tam Ky General Hospital. All the procedures were done in a flash, only waiting for blood to be drawn. But at that moment, the patient's family walked in, choking: "My father has passed away, you guys don't need to donate anymore, thank you."

That night, the group returned quietly. No one said a word. For Loc, those were moments of torment but also a reminder that every moment of hesitation could cost a life.

To date, Loc has directly donated blood more than 30 times, most of which were hot, emergency donations. Every time he lies down on the donation chair, he can clearly feel the beating of his heart and the blood that is giving life.

"After each donation, I feel relieved and happy. Because who knows, those drops of blood might help a mother survive a life-threatening situation, a baby continue to grow, or an accident patient have a chance to return to his family," Loc confided.

For Loc, donating blood is not only a civic responsibility, but also how he defines happiness: happiness is when you give.

Từ giọt máu hồng gieo mầm yêu thương - Ảnh 3. — Giving gifts to children in the highlands on the occasion of Children's Day

Spreading from the seeds of charity

Not only being involved in blood donation, Que Xuan 2 Live Blood Bank Club also regularly organizes many charity programs: "Connecting love" to children in the highlands; Zero-dong kitchen, mobilizing support for disadvantaged families or "Youth linking to share"... Loc is always the one behind, connecting friends, mobilizing benefactors, directly bringing gifts to those in need.

He believes: "Blood to save lives is urgent, but love does not stop at blood. We can also share with a meal, a warm coat, or simply hold someone's hand when they are weak."

Từ giọt máu hồng gieo mầm yêu thương - Ảnh 4. — Giving gifts to children in the highlands on the occasion of Lunar New Year

These efforts are not only recognized by the community but also praised by all levels and organizations. In 2022 and 2024, Que Xuan 2 Live Blood Bank Club consecutively received certificates of merit from the Central Committee of the Vietnam Youth Union for its outstanding achievements in volunteer activities. In 2023, Loc himself was awarded the "October 15" Award by the Central Committee of the Vietnam Youth Union - one of the noble awards for outstanding youth leaders nationwide.

However, when mentioning these achievements, Loc just smiled gently: "Rewards are motivation, but the greatest joy is still when seeing patients revive, seeing their families burst into tears of happiness."

Dream of extending the journey of love

Currently, after implementing the 2-level local government model, Que Xuan 1, Que Xuan 2, Que Phu communes and Huong An town merged into Xuan Phu commune (Da Nang city), the scale of the club's activities is larger. What Loc is most concerned about is how to strengthen the organization and develop more new members to be ready to respond to urgent emergencies.

"We want to build a widespread voluntary blood donation network, where any hospital in the area can connect immediately when needed. It is not only about saving people today but also about sowing seeds of kindness for the young generation in the future," he shared.

It can be said that Doan Xuan Loc’s journey is a vivid proof of the power of youth when they know how to live for the community. From the silent drops of blood, he has contributed to preserving the lives of hundreds of patients, while spreading the message of humanity to many young people.

Every time he mentions the motto "Every drop of blood given - A life saved", Loc smiles. Because for him, the most beautiful thing is not the times he is honored but the moment he sees a person live longer, sees a family reunited.

And from those silent drops of blood, love is still being planted by him, to spread, to flourish, to nurture faith in the good things in this life.

The fifth Living Well Writing Contest was held to encourage people to write about noble actions that have helped individuals or communities. This year, the contest focused on praising individuals or groups that have performed acts of kindness, bringing hope to those in difficult circumstances.

The highlight is the new environmental award category, honoring works that inspire and encourage action for a green, clean living environment. Through this, the Organizing Committee hopes to raise public awareness in protecting the planet for future generations.

The contest has diverse categories and prize structure, including:

Article categories: Journalism, reportage, notes or short stories, no more than 1,600 words for articles and 2,500 words for short stories.

Articles, reports, notes:

- 1 first prize: 30,000,000 VND

- 2 second prizes: 15,000,000 VND

- 3 third prizes: 10,000,000 VND

- 5 consolation prizes: 3,000,000 VND

Short story:

- 1 first prize: 30,000,000 VND

- 1 second prize: 20,000,000 VND

- 2 third prizes: 10,000,000 VND

- 4 consolation prizes: 5,000,000 VND

Photo category: Submit a photo series of at least 5 photos related to volunteer activities or environmental protection, along with the name of the photo series and a short description.

- 1 first prize: 10,000,000 VND

- 1 second prize: 5,000,000 VND

- 1 third prize: 3,000,000 VND

- 5 consolation prizes: 2,000,000 VND

Most Popular Prize: 5,000,000 VND

Prize for Excellent Essay on Environmental Topic: 5,000,000 VND

Honored Character Award: 30,000,000 VND

The deadline for submissions is October 16, 2025. The works will be evaluated through the preliminary and final rounds with the participation of a jury of famous names. The organizing committee will announce the list of winners on the "Beautiful Life" page. See detailed rules at thanhnien.vn .

Organizing Committee of the Beautiful Living Contest