Australians who have rolled up their sleeves to help others are being celebrated today, for World Blood Donor Day.
There are calls for more locals to step up and join them, with 27 blood donor appointments still needed to be filled in Rockhampton in the next week and 54 needed in Gladstone.
A new blood donor is needed every four minutes in Australia and every blood donation can help save up to three lives.
Lifeblood data shows of the 110,000 Australians who signed up to give blood or plasma in the past 12 months, 75 per cent still haven’t donated.
Lifeblood’s Brett King says this shows the thought is there for many people, which is wonderful, but they need a reminder to follow through.
“Today ahead of World Blood Donor Day, we’re thanking all our current donors for their generosity and life-saving donations. However, with the demand for blood and blood products growing, we need more people to make blood or plasma donation a regular, life-saving habit,” he says.
“Our amazing current donors can’t do it alone.
“The World Blood Donor Day theme this year ‘Give blood, give plasma, share life, share often’ highlights the importance of donating regularly to ensure blood and blood products are always available.
“It takes just an hour of your time to donate blood and every donation can help save up to three lives.”
Its also National Blood Donor Week (12-18 June) where Australia celebrates it’s half a million donors, who give 1.6 million donations each year.
