You can help people with cancer by giving blood

This is my friend Lauretta making her 75th donation of blood.

Lauretta and I have known each other for 20 years, we first met when she was my lecturer at university on the Fraser Coast. Turns out she wasn’t only a master at teaching Public Relations, she also happened to be married to my favourite teacher from high school. The rest as they say is history and she is now among my most treasured friends. 

Lauretta is a regular blood donor and plasma donor. Recently she and I have struck up an arrangement where she has committed to four donations a year, for the next five years, to replace the blood donations I am now unable to give because of my breast cancer diagnosis. 

In regards to my blood donations, the timing of my breast cancer diagnosis was shitty because only months prior I had begun to donate blood again after a decade-long hiatus caused by irrational fear and anxiety about the process. I was annoyed because I felt like I was once more getting comfortable with the blood donation process but then all of a sudden it had to stop because of my diagnosis.

In Australia, 34% of blood donations are used to help cancer patients like me. I’ve been fortunate throughout my treatment that my platelet counts were always good and I didn’t need blood transfusions like some cancer patients. 

The blood donated by people like Lauretta can be made into 22 different medical treatments. 

When Lauretta donates plasma, it can be used for cancer, blood diseases, anaemia, heart disease, stomach disease, kidney disease, childbirth, operations, blood loss, trauma and burns. What an incredibly selfless and easy way to help others in need!

If you’re aged 18 to 75 years old, in good health and weigh over 50kg, you may be eligible to give blood. Not sure? Find out if you're eligible.

Be a fucking legend like Lauretta and make an appointment with the Australian Red Cross Blood Service.