12yo relies on blood donors to keep her alive, but there's a big shortage

The Australian Red Cross Lifeblood is urgently seeking more than 12,000 blood donors to replenish supplies of type O and A blood, which are critically low. Winter illnesses are the primary reason for the drop in donations, as people are cancelling appointments due to cold and flu symptoms. Victoria is the state with the highest demand, requiring 4,500 donors, followed by New South Wales (NSW) needing 3,100 donors, and Queensland requiring 3,000 donors.

Australian Red Cross Lifeblood, which coordinates blood donation across Australia, is battling ongoing shortages of these essential blood types.

12-year-old Yasmin Sayed, who has a rare blood disorder called sickle cell thalassaemia, relies on regular blood transfusions to survive. She first received a transfusion at six months old and needs one every four weeks at the Sydney Children's Hospital in Randwick. Her father, Rabih Sayed, is deeply grateful for the generosity of blood donors, stating, "My family wouldn't be the family it is today without these people and their generosity."

The shortage is so severe that Lifeblood has only a handful of appointments open daily, with many people cancelling or rescheduling due to winter illnesses. The cold and flu peak this year came a little later than expected, and the dip in donations has been noticeable since late August. Even mild symptoms like sniffles, sore throats, and headaches make people ineligible to donate blood for seven days.

Richard Mitchell, an oncologist at the Sydney Children's Hospital, is concerned about the drop in available donors during winter, as blood transfusions are a crucial part of his daily work. He emphasized, "Blood transfusions are a life-essential part of what we do every day. We use red blood cells, platelets, plasma, and proteins for the immune system, all of which are lifesaving therapies to ensure children can survive."

Lifeblood has received recent appeals to prevent supplies from falling to critical levels, but they have not been sufficient to replenish the low stocks of O-positive and O-negative blood types, the most commonly used in emergencies. The organization is currently far below the required levels to comfortably fulfill all orders. Victoria is the state with the highest demand, needing 4,500 donors, while NSW needs 3,100 and Queensland requires 3,000 donors.

Lifeblood urges potential donors that the donation process itself only takes eight to 10 minutes and provides refreshments afterward, making it a quick and fulfilling experience.