Blood donors queue up

New Zealand Blood Service donor technician Jordyn Mellow, right, and from left Daisy, 5 and Penny, 11, of St Peter’s Catholic School watch on as Amelia Boss gives blood in the Cambridge Town Hall. Photo: Mary Anne Gill.

An appeal for blood donors resulted in a record collection in Cambridge three days out from Christmas.

And one of them queuing up to give blood after a break to have children was Amelia Boss who brought along daughters Penny, 11, and Daisy, 5, to see what was involved. Both St Peter’s Catholic School students said they would follow their mother’s example when they become eligible after their 16th birthdays.

It was Amelia’s sister who got her back into donating blood again.

“My sister has been giving blood regularly and she showed me the app and when her blood got used, they send a notification.

“So, I thought ‘that’s really cool’ and got back into it again.”

Blood technicians from the New Zealand Blood Service prepare the Cambridge Town Hall for a record number of blood donors. Photo: Mary Anne Gill.

Cherie Malcuch, who was donating blood for the 25th time, was presented with a New Zealand Blood Service umbrella for the milestone.

New Zealand Blood donor relations coordinator Chris Dickinson said in two days in Cambridge at the Town Hall – December 21 and 22 – 196 units of blood were donated. They have the potential to help 588 people in need.

The first day of the blood drive saw 131 people attend and 119 donations of whole blood made.

“This is the best attendance and collection result for a session in Cambridge ever,” he said.

The Blood Service visits Cambridge four times a year. In 2002, the service collected 581 units and last year 653. The next visit is in March.

Fewer than four per cent of the eligible population give blood in New Zealand.

New Zealand’s rate is expected to rise significantly when people who were unable to give blood – because they lived in the United Kingdom, Ireland or France for six months during the mad cow crisis between 1980 and 1996 – can do so sometime in the next six months.

When the ban was lifted in Australia, there was an eight per cent increase in numbers.

Amelia Boss, front and Cherie Malcuch, behind, fill out their details for the NZ Blood Service while Penny, 11, and Daisy, 5, of St Peter’s Catholic School watch their mother closely. Photo: Mary Anne Gill.

 

More Recent News

History against waste plant

Concerns Global Contracting Solutions may not comply with council rules, has Fonterra objecting to plans for a waste to energy plant in Racecourse Road, Te Awamutu. In its submission to an Environmental Protection Agency board…

Course plotted for maunga

Orienteering Waikato members have found a way to support Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari with a Save the Sanctuary Rogaine. When the club heard the Department of Conservation had withdrawn operational funding from the Maungatautari Ecological Island…

Village grows

Capacity at Cambridge Resthaven will continue to increase with plans set in motion for additional supported living apartments. A memorandum of understanding was signed last week by Cambridge Resthaven and Livingstone Building for the stage…

Plenty of helping hands

Card sharps emerged from their summer hiatus last week to enjoy the start of the new Cambridge Bridge Club year. With a barbecue meal behind them, some 60 club members filled 15 tables for the…