Lisa and the Blood Bubble

On Monday, Lisa was paid to play hooky from work and go down to sign up new blood donors at the ARCBS (Australian Red Cross Blood Services) Blood Bubble!

This is a topic near and dear to both our hearts as I received many transfusions during my time in the hospital. Someone's donation saved my life.

2009 celebrates 80 years of Red Cross blood services in Australia and the bubble is an information booth aimed at signing up new donors and testing for their blood type.

Lisa and a few of her colleagues took in hundreds of new donor commitment sheets and answered all sorts of questions for people.

She was even allowed to put on the mascot costume at one point. She said she'd always wanted to be a mascot!


Did you know?
- One in three people will need blood, but only one in thirty people donate.
- 470 mL of blood is collected when you give whole blood.
- Every whole blood donation can help save up to 3 lives!
- Within 24-48 hours of giving blood, your blood volume is completely restored.
- Red blood cells have a shelf life of up to 42 days.
- You can start giving blood at 16.
- You can donate whole blood every 12 weeks.
- Plasma and platelet donations can be made every 2 weeks.
- You can donate double platelets - helping twice as many people.
- Platelets have a shelf life of only 5 days.
- The most plasma donations made by one person was 938.
- Plasma donations can be used to make 16 different products.
- O negative blood is universal and can be given to anyone.
- Australia needs 21,000 blood donations every week.
- 34% of donated blood goes towards helping cancer patients.

It's been nearly twelve weeks since my last post about donating blood. That means if you donated blood that week, you're nearly eligible to donate again. Maybe you can even fit in a plasma or platelet donation in the meantime?

Many of you responded saying that you are regular donors and I really commend you for that! If you've never donated before, now is as good a time as any to start!

Remember to book your next donation appointment soon. Besides, who can say "no" to free cookies and juice?