A social media post circulating: "Today, I operated on a little girl. She needed O-blood. We didn't have any, but her twin brother has O-blood. I explained to him that it was a matter of life and death. He sat quietly for a moment, and then said goodbye to his parents. I didn't think anything of it until after we took his blood and he asked, "So, when will I die?" He thought he was giving his life for hers. Thankfully, they'll both be fine."
Fact: This is not a real story but a made up one. This is evident from the fact that, in most countries, the age limit to donate blood is 18 and few countries permit 16 –17 year old's to donate provided they fulfil the necessary conditions. Contrary to this fact, the post highlights that a little boy donated blood, which could not be true. As per Snopes, a similar story has been going around since at least the 1920s. A 1925 Mary Pickford film, Little Annie Rooney featured a similar story of a 12-year old girl offering blood to her brother, even though she thought the procedure would kill her. Even a 1993 book titled ‘Chicken Soup for the Soul’ also carried a similar story in line with the viral one. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
------
According to Halacha it would not be permitted to give the blood.
But the love of the brother for the sister is touching. From THAT we can learn a Mussar Haskel.... Or - how to say Shema every day!
