World Blood Donor Day on June 14 is a time when we say ‘thank you’ to our generous donors right across the nation, including in Port Stephens, for their life-saving blood and plasma donations.
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Millions of Australians are alive today and enjoying time with their friends and family thanks to the amazing donations made by selfless blood donors.
Over the past year, around 4000 local blood donors have together made more than 6,000 blood donations, helping to save 18,000 lives.
We simply couldn’t supply the life-giving blood that we do if it wasn’t for the efforts of our amazing donors.
Just three percent of Port Stephens residents roll up their sleeves to make lifesaving blood donations. Yet one in three of us will need it in our lifetime.
We will need it to save the lives of our unborn babies, to help us battle cancer, to save us dying from road trauma, and to help people through various other life-threatening illnesses.
Yet as the population grows, so to does the demand for blood. And that means we’ll need more donors.
Blood donation is one of the easiest ways to help people, and one of the greatest gifts a person can give.
The tiny pinch of a needle may last a couple of seconds but your blood could mean a lifetime to the person who receives it.
It only takes an hour to give blood, with most of that time dedicated to answering a few simple question beforehand, and eating and drinking in our refreshment centre afterwards.
Your donation will then be sent to one of our processing centres where it will be tested to ensure there is nothing wrong with your blood. You’ll learn your blood type, get a health check, and enjoy free drinks and snacks on us.
Of the more than 1.3 million Australian blood donations made in the past 12 months, about 450,000 are made in New South Wales and the ACT.
We know that many people have the desire to give blood and help out, but aren’t sure how to do it.
This World Blood Donor Day, it would be wonderful to see more Australians become blood donors, particularly throughout this challenging winter season. Becoming a blood donor is easier than ever with a new self-service booking system available at www.donateblood.com.au.
- Steve Eldridge, Australian Red Cross Blood Service