A Special Gift

Donating blood saves lives - and you never know, one of those lives might be yours some day.

Most people reading this article will know of someone who has had a blood transfusion. In fact, statistics from the Australian Red Cross Blood Service tell us that one in three people will need blood or blood products in their lifetime, yet only about 3% of eligible Australians give blood on a regular basis.

To meet the ever increasing hospital requirements, in Western Australia nearly 3000 people need to give blood every week.

While not everyone is able to give blood, in general, eligible blood donors need to be:
- Fit and healthy and not suffering from a cough, cold or illness
- Aged 16 - 70 years
- Weigh more than 45kg

You cannot donate blood if:
- You have had a tattoo or body piercing in the past 12 months
- You are a woman who is trying to conceive, are pregnant or breastfeeding
- You have lived in the UK for six months or more between 1980 and 1996

Who receives donated blood?

There are many different uses for blood and contrary to popular belief, the majority of blood is required for treating cancer patients (30%) and not road accident victims (12%).

Here is a breakdown:
- 30% for cancer patients
- 15% for people with stomach and bowel diseases
- 15% for heart disease patients
- 12% for accident victims
- 12% for burns, vaccinations and patients with other disorders requiring blood products
- 6% for people with liver and kidney disease
- 5% for haemophiliacs
- 5% for pregnant women and premature babies

Blood donation is easy and can be done every 12 weeks. Your body replaces lost fluid within 24 to 48 hours and the lost red blood cells after several weeks. Most importantly, one donation can help save up to three lives, so if you've never given blood or it's been a while, do something really special and give blood.

Blood donor centres are located throughout metropolitan and regional Western Australia. To make an appointment or for more information, phone 13 14 95 or visit http://www.donateblood.com.au

HBF Health Funds, the largest health insurance provider in Western Australia.

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