Red Cross puts call-out for extra donors

Albany Blood Donor Centre is calling for 50 extra blood donors this Easter to keep supplies steady through the holiday period.

People are being asked to donate at the centre from today until April 20 to bolster supplies, with some regular donors not in town during the Easter weekend.

ABDC spokeswoman Jessica Willet said the demand for blood remained constant.

“Around Easter, many regular blood donors are away, which means blood supplies can dip if we don’t have enough good eggs to fill the gap,” she said.

“One blood product, platelets, only lasts for five days — not much longer than a hot cross bun — so we need a constant supply.”

Ms Willet encouraged new donors to help out with increased demand during Easter. “One in three people will need blood in their lifetime, yet currently only one in 30 donates,” she said. “Your lifesaving donation could help someone spend another holiday with family and friends, and all it costs is an hour of time.”

One third of blood donations help treat people with cancer.

Fit and healthy people, aged between 16 and 70 and who weigh more than 50kg, are able to donate blood.