Every year, 175,000 Australian couples will have their first child. While it can be the happiest time of your life, if you’re a first-time father or partner and you’re feeling…well, a bit useless – you’re not alone. Find out how you can show your support.
Twelve hours after Heather’s baby, Alison, was born, all the blood coursing through her little veins was replaced with donated blood. 27 years later, she’s grateful to those who made the decision to donate blood – and saved her life.
As a midwife, Rae was so excited to become pregnant herself. When the time finally came, the pregnancy was a dream, just as she'd hoped. The birth, however, was a different story.
Many of us would like to make a charitable contribution or volunteer our time for the greater good, but it can be tough to figure out where to start. These charitable causes won’t cost you a cent.
No doubt you’ve heard of donating blood, but if this is the first you’re hearing of donating plasma, it perfectly highlights one of the reasons we’re currently working to recruit more plasma donors.
Blood transfusions are the headline-grabbing hero of what we do. Blood transfusions save lives every day, and they truly deserve all the celebration they can get. But what about the quiet achiever buoying your red cells, what about plasma?
25 year-old Hayley has Common Variable Immune Deficiency Disorder (CVID). Plasma donations ensure Hayley can continue her work as a full time PhD student at the Australian Academy of Science in Canberra. Without them, Hayley would be susceptible to infections from viruses and bacteria.
If you’re a frequent traveller and you’ve tried to donate blood, you may have discovered the two activities are sometimes not compatible. Due to some blood-borne diseases, there are temporary deferrals on donating blood after you’ve visited certain places.
Sure, you can take it from us that donating blood will make you feel ten different kinds of incredible, but if you still need more convincing, take it from Mayank, who recently donated plasma for the first time.
