GIVING the gift of life doesn’t come at a cost.
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Every time you donate blood, you can save three lives.
That’s why a group of Tamworth health professionals have committed to donating whole blood or plasma.
And now they’re rallying others in the sector to do the same as part of the 2017 Tamworth Health Services Challenge.
Tamworth Podiatry Centre owner Simon Burnett is inviting others to help reach a goal of 50 donations in three months.
Just three per cent of Australians give blood.
That’s a fairly damning statistic, given we all know someone who will have to call on the invaluable service at some stage.
The blood you donate can be made into 22 different medical treatments, according to the Australian Red Cross Blood Service.
How your blood is used:
- 34 per cent of all donations is used for cancer and blood diseases
- 19 per cent for other causes of anemia
- 18 per cent on surgical patients, including open heart surgery and burn
- 13 per cent on other medical problems like heart, stomach and kidney disease
- 10 per cent on orthopaedic patients
- 4 per cent on obstetrics, including pregnant women, new mothers and young children
- 2 per cent on trauma, including road accidents
There are about five litres of blood in the human body and it's made up of several useful components.
You may be able to donate whole blood, plasma or platelets.
Each type of blood donation is used for different medical treatments, and your blood type determines the best donation for you to make.
Every day more than 5000 Australians give blood at an Australian Red Cross Blood Service donor centre.
But we can help drive up that number by rolling up our sleeves.
Donating blood takes just one hour of your day – that’s a tiny price to pay when you think of the three lives you might have saved.
To find out more about donating, visit www.donateblood.com.au
Or if you want to be involved in some healthy competition, the 2017 Tamworth Health Services Challenge kicks off next month.
Teams need to sign up by the end of July.
It’s time we all roll up our sleeves.