Donating blood saves lives

Did you know, a single blood donation can save up to three lives?  

Fit&Well blog
June 2016

Although one in three Australians will need blood at some stage in their lifetime only three per cent of us donate blood regularly. The Australian Red Cross is trying to increase these numbers by encouraging more eligible people to donate.

How it works

There are three types of blood donations: whole blood, plasma and platelets. Your donated blood will go towards helping provide lifesaving treatments and transfusions for:

• patients with cancer and blood diseases
• anaemia sufferers
• people who’ve suffered major physical trauma or road accidents
• surgery patients
• pregnant women and new mothers
• people with kidney, stomach and heart disease.

Donation appointments

Feeling nervous? Don’t worry. After their first appointment, most people report donating blood was nowhere near as scary as they thought it would be, and the friendly and expert staff at the Australian Red Cross Blood Service make the experience easy. They’ll make you feel completely comfortable and will explain every step of the process.

If you’re concerned about the time commitment involved with donating blood, there’s no need. Most donation appointments only take around an hour from start to finish. The best part is you get a free snack and a drink afterwards and you’ll leave with a big smile on your face, knowing you’ve just helped save a life.

To find out more, check your eligibility or make a donation appointment, go to the Australian Red Cross Blood Service.