Lindsay Jones Preston Hire Group Finance and Business Manager recently achieved the milestone of his 60th blood donation to Australian Red Cross Blood Service.
What is special in your bloody type?
Being O positive I have the most common blood group in the community. I do however have something called a negative CMV – a flu like virus that I have not been exposed to. This can be important & several of my donations have been used for a “baby pack” to be used in transfusions for low birth weight babies. The consequences of exposure to CMV for these babies can be fatal so the Red Cross can provide a safe blood supply by identifying those with a negative CMV. On one occasion I was actually called in to donate specifically for an urgent “baby pack” need. My recent 60th donation was coincidently a special one in that, together with 3 other donors, our white cells had particular granulocytes required for a cancer patient. The nursed told me at my 7.30am donation that “the blood would be urgently transported, the white cells processed & transfused to the patient by mid-afternoon, that’s one of 3 lives your donation has saved today”
How long have you been giving blood donations?
I started donating in Newcastle back in in the nineties but slipped the habit a couple of times over the years when relocating home or work. The Rosehill donation is just a few minutes away from our Rydalmere office so I find it suits an early donation on the way to work.
What are the benefits in your donations?
Something like I in 3 of us will need a transfusion in our lives, so it makes sense that as many people as possible donate regularly. There is certainly a feel good factor in donating, plus you get a milkshake & raisin toast afterwards & take away a mars bar & one of their fabulous big choc chip biscuits
Where can some donate and how?
You can donate whole bold every 12 weeks at one of the many Red Cross Blood donation centres.
For more information about blood donations and how to help please visit see https://www.donateblood.com.au/ or call 13 14 95