According to Donate blood, which is the Australian Red Cross Blood Services, over a half of million of Australian donate blood to save life every 24 minutes, or 1 in 30 Australia will give blood every year. But only 5% of Australian are donating blood and donated blood are for 95% of us. One blood donation can save three lives and Australia need more than 25,000 blood donation each week. But have we donate enough, Regional Communication Manager from the Australian Red Cross said it is at the generosity of blood donors. Though if we want to donate where and how or who should we contact or what are the conditions that we may need to comply before we actually can give blood? If all fail what can we still do to help?
Regional Communication Manager for Australian Red Cross Erin Lagoudakis said that it is a very important time during this National Blood Donor Week.
“This week is a Blood Donor’s Week, it is a very special week for us to say a very big thanks to all of our blood donors right across the country, who time and time again come back to donate blood to help save the lives of strangers. We cannot do what we do, they are absolute legends, and we can’t thank them enough. It is also an opportunities to call out to people to join the rank of these Aussie legends, and become blood donors, if people have thought about it throughout their life time and never gone around to it or maybe people have donate but haven’t done for a while because they have got busy which happened to all of us. This is a great opportunities for people to consider making that call and coming to give blood,” said Erin Lagoudakis.
Where can we donate or give blood and what should we do?
Erin Lagoudakis mentioned that “We’ve got a quite centre right across the country so we have some here in Melbourne as well. What we encourage people to do is they can go to our website which is donateblood.com.au, they can actually search for the nearest blood donation centre or they can call us up and the number is 13 14 95. They can find the nearest blood donation centre. It is really important that people make an appointment to donate blood. Everyone’s time is precious and we want to make sure that we get to see you and get you in and out as quickly as you can possibly do. So making appointment that means like when you go to the doctor, it is reserving time with the machines, so that we can get you in and out a lot quicker. It is also really important that people bring some photo ID with them, and make sure that they have plenty of water to drinks beforehand and had something to eat before coming in and donating blood as well.”
Listen to the full interview SBS Radio Hmong Program have with Regional Communication Manager Erin Lagoudakis here: https://www.sbs.com.au/yourlanguage/services/embeds/audioplayer/0284840c-4252-47f9-8d8b-2d9b5103f3b3
But when it comes to donating blood can we just do it or there are conditions that we have to comply with?
Erin Lagoudakis expressed that “When people arrived at the centre they will get asked to complete some paper work about their health and well-being, and that is not just to check that the blood is safe for the person receiving it but also to check that blood donation is safe for that person. There might be a couple of reasons why some people might not be able to donate, umh overseas travel may be one of them but it is not a permanent thing. So we will certainly ask but if you are not sure if you are not sure if you are able to donate, do not rule yourself out , give us a call that number is 13 14 95 and our team is happy to have a chat with individual circumstance and address any questions that you may have about blood donation.”
There are some circumstances that a person is not allowed to donate blood for instance, that person may have just had an operation, giving birth, doing new tattoo, traveling overseas, piercing, on some sort of medication, having heart condition, or having blood disorder or blood diseases or using drug and injecting needle that are not prescribed by doctors, having weight under 50 kg, getting pregnant, being unwell or recently done dental surgery or sexually active homosexual during the last 12 months according to Australian Red Cross.
According to Palomar Education human human blood type are categorized into ABO blood type and these are the major blood types namely A+, A-,B+, B-, AB+, AB-, O-and O+.
But If we look at the Blood Center's Blood Facts we will see that there are so much different in each blood types what they can give to or can receive from.
But which blood types can give and or can receive which types? Let's us find out. To celebrate and thanks blood donors legends during National Blood Donors Week 2-8 Sept Ms Lagoudakis said that Australia need every blood types donation including the universal blood types.
Major blood types-The Blood Center Source: The Blood Center
Erin Lagoudakis asserted that “We need all blood type all the time, every one of us in Australia has one of the main blood type, so one blood type in particular though that is really unique and quite special is O negative (O-), the reason that it is quite unique is that fact that what is known as universal blood type, this means that anyone can receive it. And that does mean that if someone is in road accident and doctors don’t yet know that person’s blood type, but they really need blood, they can really give O negative blood type in that emergency situation.”
But we have good news, recent report from The New Scientist report which has been published on the 25th of August 2018 said that there is a new research breakthrough that might help us not to worry too much about not having enough blood donation in the future.
O- Universal blood type is the highest on demand-Donateblood-Australian Red Cross Blood Services-Courtesy of Erin Lagoudakis Source: Courtesy of Erin Lagoudakis
Steve Withers from the University of British Columbia in Canada has revealed that the ABO blood type have some certain sugars on the top layer of blood cells or the antigens which can cause trouble or not suitable for transferring from one blood type to other blood type person. They have found that bacteria enzyme found in human gut lining can help resolving sugars on the surfaces of red blood cells and when they combine certain type of bacteria enzyme with type A blood, it became type O blood. However, it still need more safety testing before human transfusion can be made, where he has presented this research to the American Chemical Society in Boston in last August 2018. This is a very promising research breakthrough which could one day made blood transfusion possible for everyone.
But what are all the donated blood being utilized for?
Erin Lagoudakis affirmed that “I think that probably the one that said that to me is most people think that all of the blood donated tends to go towards people in car accident or with some kind of trauma, whereas the majority of donation actually are going towards cancer patients and undergoing treatment of cancer. It is only around 2% of blood going toward road accident and trauma and yet more than like 35% is actually going to cancer patients. And most of us will have a loved ones or know someone who have has, ever had cancer or treatment for cancer and although they may require for blood products.”
The Blood Center said that donated blood will be used for many purposes particularly the red blood cells will be transfused to person or patients with accident trauma or surgery as well as treating anemia (Sickle cell anemia). Platelet from the donated blood will be utilized for cancer patients who undergo chemotherapy or radiation and burn victims will need plasma.
And why should we donate blood anyway?
Erin Lagoudakis responded that “Right across Our data has shown us that one in three Australian will need blood in their life time, so if you sitting around the table looking at your colleagues, your families or your friends, one in three people are likely to need blood in their life time. And that blood is only there because of the generosity of Australians just like those blood donors that we recognise this week during National Blood Donor Week. And it is really important to remember that blood donation save lives. You know, financial donation some time you are not sure where the money is going. With the blood donation you know that that blood donation is going to actual person on the other end of it who by enlarge are going to be incredible grateful for possibly more time with their families and friends and their second chance of life.”
So what can we do to help during the National Blood Donor Week?
Erin Lagoudakis stated that “Certainly this National Blood Donor Week is really special for us. We encourage anyone who really wants to donate blood to get involve and if you can’t donate that is okay, there are other ways you can help. You know, share the words, and encourage other people to give blood in your state if you can’t do it. And also think of blood donors, if you know someone who donate blood say thank you on behalf of the many recipients right across the country who never get a chance to thank the person that gave them their donation. You know it is really special week for us and we encourage people to get involved.”
However, there are some conditions that we may need to comply with before we can actually give blood according to the Australian Red Cross Blood Services.
Those who want to donate blood must be at least a health person age at least 16 years of age but parental consent and paper needed to be signed. For those age 18 to 70 they must weigh over 50 kilograms, not traveling overseas for the last six months, not active gay couple that sexually active for the last 12 months, not injecting needles that are not prescribed by doctors, just recently giving birth, being pregnant, just recently have dental surgery, having heart conditions, having blood disorder or blood disease, ongoing medication, freshly done tattoo or piercing or unwell are those are not allowed to donate blood.
Erin Lagoudakis also added that people who want to give blood should drink plenty of water, have a proper meal before and after they donted blood, but each person can only donate one pints. The Medicalnewstoday informs that normally women will have at least 9 pints and men will have 12 pints. An infant could have between 75-80 milliliters of blood per (ml/kg) of body weight.
Though the Blood Center recommended that people should not have oily foods or fried foods and that they should have Iron-rich foods kom so they can have more red blood cells or hemoglobin to give. Within 24 hours their body should replenish their plasma but it will take about 5 days to get their red blood cells to normal level. However, after just 2 months they can donate once again.
And if you are worried about safety about donating blood. Donors chairs, tools are being sanitized and new needles are used so you can have a peace of mind.
Erin Lagoudakis, Regional Communication Manager from the Donateblood which is part of Australian Red Cross Blood Services said one in three Australia will need blood in their life time whether if they are our families, friends, colleagues.
So during this National Blood Donor Week 2-8 Sept 2018, she would like to encourage us to donate, or if we are too busy and can't donate, we can still say thank you on behalf of those blood recipients that haven't got the chance to thanks those strangers whose blood has extend their time for a while so they can make the most with their families or they can have a second chance to life.#
Further readings:
- https://www.donateblood.com.au/
- https://kidshealth.org/en/kids/blood.html
- http://www.thebloodcenter.org/donor/BloodFacts.aspx
- https://www.newscientist.com/article/2177432-bacteria-can-be-used-to-turn-type-a-blood-into-universal-type-o/
- https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/11-healthy-iron-rich-foods
- https://www2.palomar.edu/anthro/blood/abo_system.htm
- https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/321122.php
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