Coolangatta blood van appeals for 88 donors this week
THE Red Cross in Coolangatta needs your blood.
Red Cross spokeswoman Belinda Hayes said the mobile blood unit had about 88 appointments still available for this week and needed to fill the spots to ensure demand for blood could be met.
"With Christmas coming up, we like to bolster our supplies as people go away on holidays and stop donating for that period of time.
"The demand, however, doesn't stop so collections are needed before people take time off," Ms Hayes said.
Fortunately, modern processing techniques mean one blood donation can save up to three lives, however, the total number of donations needed each week is a staggering 27,000.
On top of the disparity between donations required and received, the Australian Red Cross reported recently it had lost the contact numbers for almost half its donors.
The Red Cross appeals to donors who have changed their telephone numbers to get in touch on 13 14 95 and prospective and current donors who want to answer the present call up and donate at Coolangatta's mobile blood unit to make an appointment on the same number.
