Umm it was my comment that you have responded to and addressed it back to me so why name Veronique Langland in your reply when her answer was about malaria?
I think you were talking to Patricia Rigby, not me 
The harmless neonatal jaundice is really usual, in fact about half full term newborns present with it, because of excess bilirubin (which is ‘burnt off’ by sticking them under good strong light, I don’t suppose there’s such an easy solution for adults but then their jaundice is generally symptomatic of something worse).
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Patricia Rigby, sorry I left you out, but besides Malaria I had mentioned Jaundice!
Yep… there’s more than one sort of jaundice …
I had a nasty jaundice as a young baby which popped up now and again, for years and years. Something I simply had to live with. Until, suddenly in my 30’s we realised that it had not reared its head for a while - no idea why - fingers crossed been OK ever since, but still not able to give blood.
Each person’s situation can be so different… 
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Ugh poor you and what a worry for your parents - some really nasty things show up as jaundice.
I got “it” from my mother - who was ill all her life and died at 60. None of my siblings were affected.
Thankfully, I have not needed all the dire stuff she went through but it was a worry when I had my daughter. Thankfully, she has not inherited any of the “flaws” only my best bits…
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Gilbert’s syndrome?
“the reason people want to give blood is so you they feel good about it” _ My dad started giving blood because a pretty nuse offered him a cup of tea when he was a PC on the beat and it was raining.
I gave blood well over a 100 times from age 18. Many of those were after I moved to France before the ban was introduced. Never been back, and I didn’t know the ban was still in force.
I would have thought that the testing could have picked up the CJD thing, but the French are still smarting of teh HIV contaminated blood scandal.
I’m ‘O’ neg so actually feel bad about not giving blood as they use it for babies.
I have a rare blood group AB+ (only 2% of the population) So I know how important it is to give blood.
I was really upset when I realised I would not be able to do this in France. 
Well I’m AB- so even more sought after in UK! I guess up until recently I could have given blood on my annual trips home as still have UK blood donor card, sadly with drugs I take no longer possible anywhere.
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My Mum is AB- too ( I get the positive from my Dad) yes, like her your blood group is very rare.
My mum has given blood practically all her life and been presented certificates to mark her commitment to the programme.
I’m really proud of her… 
You could possibly link in a “donation” with a trip back to UK… or do you never go back… ???
I haven’t been back to the UK for 7 years. I’m lucky that everyone likes coming out here for a holiday. 
Fair enough - I was just thinking of your rare blood group…
It was because you said you were really upset about not being able to give blood (in France) … thus I was simply looking at a way around things… but obviously not possible.
Like others on this thread have mentioned, it’s more annoying than upsetting. 
It can come as a shock to find out the differences between countries, which we don’t know about in advance (or think to enquire about). things we just take for granted/presume will be the same…
Exactly, when moving to France 15 years ago, sorting out accommodation, removals, carte vitale, doctor, dentist, tax registrations and all the legalities took precedence.
It would have been impossible to investigate every single difference between the 2 nations.
Blood donation was definitely not top of the list when moving to France and all that it entails!
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I didn’t even know my blood group until I came to France - I just knew I could not donate. 