Whilst battling leukaemia, Hayley from Cairns, received more than 50 blood transfusions to help save her life. On one day alone she needed six units of blood, almost replacing all of her own blood supply. Three years since she was diagnosed, Hayley is now in remission and her family are eternally grateful for the generosity of the blood donors who helped to keep her alive.
Rebecca from NSW is an inspiration to her friends, family members, school mates and work colleagues. Not only has she inspired them with her strength and love of life, but she has also inspired them to become blood donors. Blood donors helped Rebecca with blood and platelet transfusions during her chemotherapy treatment after she was diagnosed with lymphoblastic leukaemia in 2007.
James Harrison, the Australian record holder for most blood donations, is a worthy nominee for a Pride of Australia medal 2010 in the Community Spirit category.
At 73, James, who has been donating since turning 18, visits the Blood Service every fortnight and donates plasma. His plasma is specifically useful for the immunoglobulin which prevents Rh(D) negative women developing Rh(D) antibodies during pregnancy, which may harm unborn children.
The Commonwealth Serum Laboratory said his donations had helped save 2.2 million babies, including, several years ago, his own grandson.
“Pretty much everybody in the community has received something from the Blood Service,” says James. “So please, take the time, and give something back.”
Proud grandparents, Keith and Jennifer, from Victoria have given more than 150 donations between them. They are determined to keep donating as they have experienced first-hand, how blood donations help save lives. Their granddaughter, Kahlia, was diagnosed with a tumour of the pelvis and benefited from the help of blood donors, like themselves, as she needed blood during her chemo and radiotherapy treatment
Kahlia’s life threatening illness has inspired friends and family members to give blood. During 10 months of chemo and radiotherapy to fight a tumour in her pelvis, Kahlia from Victoria received around 50 units of blood as well as platelets. The blood was crucial to her treatment as it helped her to getting better quicker so she could undertake more chemo to battle the tumour.
Amy from NSW started donating blood when she was at high school and has been a regular donor, giving blood every three months, ever since. Amy was encouraged to donate by her grandmother and Amy has carried on this persuasive family tradition by encouraging other family members and friends to give blood.
Born with liver disease, Judah from NSW, lay in hospital at just five months old attached to machines and with staples in his tiny body. A liver transplant saved him from terminal illness but the transplant would not have been a success if it were not for the generous blood donors who gave enough blood for the 25 blood transfusions he needed to help save his life.
Blood donors have changed Anna’s life. Before she started treatment with five-hour long plasma transfusions every three weeks, Anna from Melbourne, could spend long periods confined to a wheelchair. But this rare and painful auto-immune disease is treatable, with thanks to blood donors.
Robert from Queensland, has been giving blood and plasma for almost 10 years and every two weeks he pulls up to the Donor Centre on his motorbike. He uses the hour-long plasma donation as an opportunity to relax, and perhaps even have a snooze! But his 110 donations to date are no snoring matter as he has helped to save more than 330 lives.
Left untreated, Jaiden from Sydney, would face bone deformities and an early death due to thalassemia major, a genetic condition which reduces his body’s ability to produce red blood cells. Blood donors literally give Jaiden life as every month he visits hospital for a blood transfusion to restore him to his normal active lifestyle until his next transfusion.
Ron from Western Australia has been donating since 1972 and is proud to have made more than 460 donations. The reality of who needs blood is very close to Ron’s heart as his mother needed blood transfusions during her battle with bowel cancer. Ron is an inspiration to others and his grandson is now a blood donor too.
Cameron from Victoria has a rare life-threatening condition known as congenital dyserythropoietic anaemia (CDA), which means he is unable to produce healthy red blood cells, vital for carrying oxygen around his little body. Cameron needs blood transfusions every five weeks, allowing him to grow up happy and healthy. He will be dependent on these transfusions for the rest of his life
Andrew from Victoria wanted to find a way to help other people and to give something back to the community. He decided that his way to help was to give blood and he started donating in 2004. He has now made eight donations and encourages others to become donors.
A blood transfusion every three weeks prevents Eugenia from becoming severely anaemic and in the worst case, dying. She has thalassaemia, a genetic blood disorder and donated blood is the only treatment option available to her. From Boroondara, Eugenia, her sister Antonia, friends and family are thankful to the people who give blood and help her.
Twins, Hannah and Courtney from New South Wales are shining examples of Australia’s young donors. They started donating at High School along with many of their school friends, but whilst many young donors stop donating once they leave school, Hannah and Courtney have continued and they have both made nine donations. As they always go to give blood together, when they donate they are helping to save, not three, but six lives between them.
Diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, Tali from Queensland, required chemotherapy and full body radiation to help her battle the disease. She is eternally grateful to blood donors, without them her treatment wouldn’t have been possible as she needed a cocktail of products including red blood cells, platelets and plasma products in order for her survival.
By becoming a blood donor, Jayne has continued a family tradition as her mum and grandmother, ‘Gramfie’ are blood donors too. On Jayne’s first donation they all gave blood together, helping to save nine lives between them. Jayne is a committed blood donor and has donated six times already.
Steve from the Northern Territory knows how important blood and blood products are to other people in the community. He says that giving blood doesn’t take very long, about an hour, so it doesn’t take up much of his free time. Steve started donating in 2004 and has made nine donations since. He spends the rest of his free time riding and drag racing motorbikes!
Linda from Queensland says her life has been saved by blood donors. During and after an extensive period of chemotherapy treatment, Linda needed 65 units of red cells and 85 bags of platelets to help battle cancer of the lymph system, called mantle cell lymphoma. She will continue to use a product each month called Intragam, made from plasma, until she has fully recovered.
Brendan, a trainee nurse from Queensland, was inspired to give blood by his Grandma who made 98 whole blood donations. He has set himself a target of making one hundred donations, and is well on his way. He has only been donating for seven months, but has made more than ten donations already.
Born at just 27 weeks and 950g, Courtney from Adelaide spent seven weeks in intensive care and needed three blood transfusions to give her the best chance at survival. She is now a gorgeous toddler and her parents believe that Courtney may not have pulled through if it wasn’t for blood donors.
Clocking up an amazing 600 donations, Gwen has made more donations than any other woman in Western Australia. Since her first donation in 1945 she has helped to save thousands of lives and was a crucial member of the Anti-D programme. The product made from Anti D plasma helps protect the unborn babies (and future babies) of mothers who have an Rh negative blood group. Gwen is pictured here with Chanel who is one of the babies she helped.
Len suffered his first heart attack in 1984, and again in 1998 although he was very fit and healthy. In 2000, after eight months on the donor register, he received a new heart and a new lease of life. During and after his heart transplant he needed four units of plasma and four units of red blood cells and wouldn't be able to enjoy life with his wife, three sons and four grandchildren if it were not for blood donors.
Every few weeks Ruby needs intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) made from plasma to help control a rare neurological disorder which was triggered by mild pneumonia when she was four. Without this treatment, which requires the plasma of thousands of donors each year, the primary school student would be confined to a wheelchair and have a tracheostomy.
Kylie started donating two years ago because she wanted to give something back to the world. Kylie knew that giving blood was easy; it takes just an hour; doesn’t cost anything and above all helps other people. She has regularly donated blood every three months since.
David has made more than 200 donations in his 40 years as a blood donor. He started donating in 1968 at the time when many of his friends were conscripted to Vietnam so he understood the importance of how donated blood can help people. This belief was further confirmed in the early 70s when his father in law needed a blood transfusion to help him recover from heart bypass surgery.
