Maurice Creswick of Johannesburg has been confirmed as the Guinness World Record blood donor — despite his 350-pint landmark being challenged last week.
Creswick (79), who started donating blood when he was 18, broke his own Guinness record for the 14th time when he gave his 350th pint in Johannesburg last week.
His record was challenged by Lionel Lewis (72) of Pretoria, who provided a document showing he had donated 368 pints.
But on Tuesday, the South African National Blood Service (SANBS) said it investigated Lewis’s claims and found that Creswick is still the record holder.
SANBS spokesperson Nicolette Duda said Lewis had not followed the requirement of donating every 56 days because he had given blood more often while he was involved in a medical experiment.
”This boiled down to the fact that Mr Lewis made more donations than he was supposed to. We can confirm that Mr Creswick is still the official world-record holder,” she said.
”There are many blood donors who have to give blood every two weeks. They might also have given more than Mr Creswick, but the point is that they do not meet the criteria for the record.”
Creswick broke the Guinness record for the first time on July 9 2003, when he donated his 336th unit of blood.
He was inspired to donate blood when he was a boy and saw a tram smash into a car in Johannesburg.
Lewis, however, still believes that he is the record holder and that he will get confirmation from Guinness ”very soon”.
”The Guinness book gives records for the most number of units donated. They don’t take frequency into account,” he said.
Lewis said Creswick has accused him of intimidation in the past.
”Contrary what Mr Creswick says, I have never met him or intimidated him.”
He said as far as he was concerned there is no bad blood between the two men. — Sapa