Latest news with #AustralianRedCrossLifeblood
West Australian
3 days ago
- Health
- West Australian
Lifeblood donors easier to spot this National Blood Donor Week with red bandages to become the new norm
Blood and plasma donors will be easier to spot from this week with Australian Red Cross Lifeblood permanently replacing its white arm bandages with branded red ones. The move during National Blood Donor Week is backed by research, revealing that applying a branded bandage was an effective way to identify donors and wearers were perceived to be generous, altruistic and moral. The inaugural red bandage features the organisation's 'Life is the Reason' campaign tag line. Lifeblood needs more than 1.7 million donations every year to meet the 12-year-high demand for blood and blood products. Lifeblood acting chief executive Cath Stone said she hoped the new bandages would promote discussions about blood donations and encourage more people to become donors. 'A new blood donor is needed every five minutes in Australia, and that means we need people talking and thinking about blood and plasma donation, and encouraging each other to roll up their sleeves,' she said. 'We know that branded post-donation bandages are a great way to start conversations and boost awareness about blood donation.' A Life is the Reason hub, where donors can submit their reasons for donating has already received more than 12,000 responses. A recent analysis revealed the most common reason people donate is to help others. Other top reasons include because they can, to give back, and to save lives. For others, it's simply for the party pies. To book a donation, call 13 14 95, visit or download the Donate Blood App.
Perth Now
3 days ago
- Health
- Perth Now
New-look arm bandages to inspire more people to donate blood
Blood and plasma donors will be easier to spot from this week with Australian Red Cross Lifeblood permanently replacing its white arm bandages with branded red ones. The move during National Blood Donor Week is backed by research, revealing that applying a branded bandage was an effective way to identify donors and wearers were perceived to be generous, altruistic and moral. The inaugural red bandage features the organisation's 'Life is the Reason' campaign tag line. Lifeblood needs more than 1.7 million donations every year to meet the 12-year-high demand for blood and blood products. Lifeblood acting chief executive Cath Stone said she hoped the new bandages would promote discussions about blood donations and encourage more people to become donors. 'A new blood donor is needed every five minutes in Australia, and that means we need people talking and thinking about blood and plasma donation, and encouraging each other to roll up their sleeves,' she said. 'We know that branded post-donation bandages are a great way to start conversations and boost awareness about blood donation.' New Lifeblood bandage hopes to inspire more people to donate blood. Credit: Australian Red Cross Lifeblood A Life is the Reason hub, where donors can submit their reasons for donating has already received more than 12,000 responses. A recent analysis revealed the most common reason people donate is to help others. Other top reasons include because they can, to give back, and to save lives. For others, it's simply for the party pies. To book a donation, call 13 14 95, visit or download the Donate Blood App.
West Australian
16-05-2025
- Health
- West Australian
Kalgoorlie cancer patient calls for mobile blood donation bus to service regional WA
A prominent Kalgoorlie-Boulder resident has continued his drive for a mobile blood donation bus to service regional WA — which he believes would benefit patients and blood research. Nick Fardell, who has been battling cancer for the past 2½ years, helped spark discussions on the re-establishment of an Australian Red Cross Lifeblood donation centre in Kalgoorlie-Boulder. A petition in 2023 to reinstate a local donor centre gathered 2400 signatories after being promoted by Member for Kalgoorlie Ali Kent, along with Mr Fardell and Doug Daws. Lifeblood launched their first pop-up centre in September as part of a WA-wide trial. It marked the first time in 12 years local residents could roll up their sleeves and donate blood. Mr Fardell said while the pop-up clinic was a step in the right direction, a mobile clinic could service a larger region. 'When I teamed up with Ali and Doug and we were (advocating) to get a service, I always maintained it was a red bus,' he said. 'With the pop-up clinic . . . they bring their offices, their beds, their petitions around the offices. They bring all that. 'I believe it's a really inefficient way to spend money, whereas a red bus could be used in a lot more locations.' Mr Fardell said a mobile centre could also help to boost blood research for Indigenous people. 'One of the things we need in Western Australia in our health service . . . is research into Indigenous people and Indigenous bloods and we're not collecting that,' he said. 'This is the perfect opportunity to be able to collect that blood in that facility, a mobile facility, that can go out . . . and pick out early cases and run tests.' Mr Fardell was diagnosed with a type of myelodysplastic syndrome in late 2022, which has now developed into acute myeloid leukaemia. MDS causes the body to not make enough red blood cells. To keep his red blood cell count high enough, Mr Fardell received regular blood transfusions. In 2023, Mr Fardell was twice turned away from the Pathwest facility at Kalgoorlie Health Campus after being told they did not have the blood product he needed. The difficulty Mr Fardell had faced in receiving blood transfusions brought his attention to the lack of a donation options across regional WA. 'I had a blood test one day, and there was meant to be a packet of blood for me the next day, and it didn't turn up,' he said. 'It's a pretty long day when you don't get your blood donation, and you know that you've now got to wait another day.' After ongoing discussions with Lifeblood about an increased presence in regional WA, Mr Fardell said he was not satisfied with the organisation's responses. The Kalgoorlie Miner contacted Australian Red Cross Lifeblood for comment but the organisation was not in a position to speak about an alternative donation model. 'Every year across Australia Lifeblood collects more than 1.6 million donations in more than 400 locations,' a spokesperson said. 'While we're always looking for opportunities to increase donation options within local communities, right now for Kalgoorlie, our focus is on making sure the pop-up is successful. 'In the meantime, we'll continue to engage with communities across Australia, as we have for the past few years, on other potential opportunities.' There had been 510 donations from 338 people in Kalgoorlie-Boulder during the past eight months. The Lifeblood spokesperson thanked the Kalgoorlie-Boulder community for their support of the pop-up donor centre. 'It's been very exciting to be able to collect blood in Kalgoorlie for the first time in 12 years, following the pop-up's launch in September 2024,' the spokesperson said. 'Despite facing a few logistical challenges during our three visits so far, we're working to make the pop-up a success.' Lifeblood will return to Kalgoorlie-Boulder from July 28 to August 1, with 60 appointments available. Anyone interested in donating blood can book online at
The Guardian
04-03-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
Australian ‘man with the golden arm', whose rare blood saved 2.4m babies, dies at 88
James Harrison, the Australian known as 'the man with the golden arm' because of his prolific baby-saving blood donations, has died aged 88. In his lifetime, Harrison rolled up his sleeve more than 1,100 times to give his plasma which was then used in 2.4m doses of anti-D medication to save at-risk newborn babies. Harrison's blood was special because it contained what the Australian Red Cross described as a 'rare and precious' antibody, essential to make anti-D injections. Anti-D injections are a life-saving medication given to RhD-negative mothers whose blood is at risk of attacking their unborn babies. Without it, their babies can suffer haemolytic disease of the foetus and newborn (HDFN), which can be fatal. Harrison first donated blood in 1954 and reportedly never missed a fortnightly appointment. His final donation was in 2018, aged 81. He was inspired after undergoing lung surgery as 14-year-old, himself receiving many blood transfusions, the Red Cross said. Since the introduction of the anti-D treatment in the 1960s, mothers and babies no longer face the adverse outcomes of HDFN. The disease occurs when blood types of a mother and baby are incompatible and can result in miscarriage, stillbirth and other complications. Dr David De Leacy, a retired Australian pathologist and transfusion specialist, said the disease was now 'an historical problem' thanks to anti-D. He likened the anti-D treatment to immunisation against any other virus, with babies protected if administered early enough. The only catch is people like Harrison and his blood are rare. In 1999 Harrison was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia. 'He was … very proud to have saved so many lives, without any cost or pain,' Harrison's daughter, Tracey Mellowship, told the Red Cross in a statement 'It made him happy to hear about the many families like ours, who existed because of his kindness.' The CEO of Australian Red Cross Lifeblood, Stephen Cornelissen, described Harrison as a 'remarkable, stoically kind' man who 'extended his arm to help others and babies he would never know'. In Australia, the Red Cross said recruiting new anti-D donors was as an ongoing challenge. It has fewer than 200 anti-D donors nationwide, who help about 45,000 mothers and their babies each year. In addition to the 2m doses from his donations, labs still hold blood from Harrison. Using blood from Harrison and other donors, Australian scientists are attempting to grow the anti-D antibody in a lab – a process the Red Cross has fondly dubbed 'James in a jar'. Harrison died in his sleep on 17 February, the Red Cross said.
The Independent
04-03-2025
- Health
- The Independent
‘Man with a golden arm': Australian whose rare blood helped save millions of babies dies at 88
James Harrison, who helped save more than two million babies by donating blood over 1,100 times across six decades, has died at 88. According to the Australian Red Cross Lifeblood, Harrison, also known as the 'man with a golden arm', had the 'precious antibody in his blood' that was used to make a 'lifesaving medication called Anti-D, given to mothers whose blood is at risk of attacking their unborn babies'. Harrison died in his sleep at Peninsula Village Nursing Home on the NSW Central Coast on 17 February. He began donating in 1954 at 18 and continued regularly until his retirement in 2018 at 81. According to Australian Red Cross Lifeblood, he has helped save the lives of more than 2.4 million Australian babies. Harrison's daughter, Tracey Mellowship, fondly remembered him as a generous soul with a wonderful sense of humour. 'James was a humanitarian at heart, but also very funny,' Ms Mellowship said. 'In his last years, he was immensely proud to become a great grandfather to two beautiful grandchildren, Trey and Addison. 'As an Anti-D recipient myself, he has left behind a family that may not have existed without his precious donations.' She added: 'He was also very proud to have saved so many lives, without any cost or pain. It made him happy to hear about the many families like ours, who existed because of his kindness. 'He always said it does not hurt, and the life you save could be your own.' Harrison's rare antibodies were crucial in developing Anti-D, the treatment that has protected millions of newborns from Rhesus disease (or Haemolytic Disease of the Foetus and Newborn) – a condition in which a pregnant woman's blood attacks her unborn baby's red blood cells, potentially leading to brain damage or even death. It occurs when a mother has RhD-negative blood, while her baby inherits RhD-positive blood from the father. If the mother has been sensitised to RhD-positive blood – often during a previous pregnancy – her immune system may produce antibodies that attack the baby's blood as a foreign threat. 'James was a pioneer of our Anti-D programme. More than 3 million doses of Anti-D containing James' blood have been issued to Aussie mothers with a negative blood type since 1967,' Lifeblood said in a statement on their website. 'He has changed my world and I'm sure he's done that for many other families, making him a very incredible human,' said Rebecca Ind, a recipient of Harrison's blood donations during and after her pregnancy 12 years ago. In 1999 Harrison was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia – one of the country's most prestigious honours – for his extraordinary dedication to the Lifeblood and Anti-D programme. His kindness leaves a 'remarkable legacy, and he has put the challenge out to the Australian community to beat it', Lifeblood said in the statement. 'I hope it's a record that somebody breaks, because it will mean they are dedicated to the cause,' Harrison said of his last donation at the age of 81. 'It becomes quite humbling when they say, 'oh you've done this or you've done that or you're a hero,'' Harrison said at the time. 'It's something I can do. It's one of my talents, probably my only talent, is that I can be a blood donor.' At 14, Harrison underwent major chest surgery and relied on the generosity of blood donors to survive. Determined to give back, he vowed to donate as soon as he was eligible – and at 18, he kept his promise, despite a fear of needles. More than a decade later, doctors discovered that his blood contained a rare antibody essential for producing Anti-D injections. Committed to helping others, Harrison willingly switched to plasma donation, ensuring his contributions could save as many lives as possible. 'James was a remarkable, stoically kind, and generous person who was committed to a lifetime of giving and he captured the hearts of many people around the world,' Lifeblood chief executive officer Stephen Cornelissen was quoted as saying by Australia's Nine News. 'It was James' belief that his donations were no more important than any other donors', and that everyone can be special in the same way that he was. 'James extended his arm to help others and babies he would never know a remarkable 1173 times and expected nothing in return.' Robyn Barlow, coordinator of Australia's Rh Program – designed to prevent Haemolytic Disease of the Foetus and Newborn (HDFN) – said she had been friends with Harrison for nearly 60 years after first recruiting him as a donor. 'He made my job very easy because he was so keen to donate all the time,' Barlow told 'I never had to worry about him – I never had to call and say: 'when you're coming', nothing like that, he was there standing in front of me.' In an interview with NPR in 2015, Harrison said: 'I was always looking forward to donating, right from the operation, because I don't know how many people it took to save my life.' Several reports pointed out that doctors were not entirely sure why and how Harrison developed this rare blood antibody, though they suspect it may be linked to the transfusions he received at 14 after his surgery. 'Every batch of Anti-D that has ever been made in Australia has come from James' blood,' Jemma Falkenmire, of the Australian Red Cross Lifeblood (then known as Australian Red Cross Blood Service), told CNN in 2015. 'And more than 17 per cent of women in Australia are at risk, so James has helped save a lot of lives.' Fewer than 200 people in Australia donate Anti-D, yet their contributions help an estimated 45,000 mothers and babies each year, according to the Australian Red Cross Lifeblood. Scientists from WEHI (Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research) in Melbourne, in collaboration with Lifeblood, are working on a project called 'James in a Jar' to grow the Anti-D antibody in the lab. Using blood and immune cells from Harrison and other donors, the team has successfully recreated and cultivated the antibody, according to Lifeblood. This breakthrough could one day help prevent Haemolytic Disease of the Foetus and Newborn, benefiting pregnant women not just in Australia but worldwide, the statement said.
