Indian Nun Donates Blood 117 Times, Sets National Record

Sister Jaya Anto Mangalath was 18 when a simple explanation changed her life forever. At a college blood drive in Kerala, India, a nun coordinator explained how one donation could save a life, and Jaya decided to make it her mission.

That was 1987. Today, at nearly 60 years old, she holds India's national record for most blood donations by a woman with 117 donations and counting.

"When I saw my blood flowing into a bag, the fear disappeared," Mangalath recalls of her first donation. "Instead, I experienced deep joy when I realized I could help someone in need." She's donated every three months since, never stopping even after joining her religious order in 1990.

The practice has kept her remarkably healthy. She has no diabetes, high blood pressure, or major illness approaching 60. "While my donation helps others, I feel it also purifies my own blood," she says.

But blood donation is just one part of her story. For 32 years, Mangalath has served homeless people, widows, and the abandoned in Kerala's Kasaragod district. She left teaching in 1994 after hearing about families suffering health problems from pesticide exposure without support to access government aid.

Now she walks the streets of Kanhangad daily, bringing food to people living on the margins. She takes struggling individuals to her rented home or connects them with shelters. She helps families affected by alcoholism, serving as state secretary of the Kerala Prohibition Council.

"My service is simple: listen, offer a kind word, or just be present," she explains. "I try to restore dignity and hope to people who feel forgotten."

The Ripple Effect

Mangalath's record has inspired countless others to overcome their fear of donating blood. As a member of several blood donor groups, she receives frequent requests and uses each as an opportunity to encourage family members to donate. She patiently explains the process, walking nervous first-timers through their fears.

Her awards, including recognition from the Kerala State Blood Transfusion Council in 2023 and the Talent Record Book in 2024, matter to her only because they spread the message. "When I receive an award for blood donation, I am happy because it inspires others to donate blood," she says.

She grew up as the 11th of 12 children in a family she describes as deeply compassionate to the poor. That spirit of mercy shaped everything that followed: the blood donations, the street ministry, the quiet acts of feeding someone forgotten.

At nearly 60, Mangalath shows no signs of slowing down, continuing to give her blood and her days to anyone who needs them.