Donating blood an 'easy gift' to help save lives: Mount Maunganui donor

Mount Maunganui retiree Lorraine Trivett, 73, has been donating O negative blood since she was 18. Photo / Sandra Conchie

Mount Maunganui retiree Lorraine Trivett has been donating her life-saving "wonder blood" for 55 years and says she doesn't plan to stop anytime soon.

The 73-year-old is among only 9 per cent of New Zealand's population with an O negative blood type, such a special type the NZ Blood Service calls it "wonder blood".

O negative blood is the universal blood type, meaning in an emergency it can be given to a patient without the need for a blood test.

But current stocks around the country are low and the New Zealand Blood Service has urgently emailed and texted donors on its books come forward to donate.

Lorraine Trivett told the Bay of Plenty Times she became a blood donor at 18 and had donated her blood about every three or four months since.

"But the blood service will sometimes call me up to urgently come in.

"I lived in Australia for 30 years and used to also donate there as well."

Trivett estimated she had donated blood at least 220 times.

"As a kid I was always climbing trees and used to have lots of nosebleeds. But I found once I began donating my blood that stopped," she said.

Trivett said she could not understand why more people were not signing up to donate.

"It's a very special easy gift to give, which means so much to the person who will be receiving it and their family," she said.

"No one knows what's coming around the corner, including when you might need a life-saving blood transfusion or a family member needs one."

Trivett said donating her blood was an "uplifting" experience.

"Every time I give blood it makes me feel great knowing I am doing something that is hopefully going to help keep someone else alive," she said.

Trivett said she was also an organ donor and in her will had bequested her body for medical research. She urged more people to think seriously about following her example.

Scott Sinclair, from the New Zealand Blood Service, said there had been a fantastic response to the service's call for O negative blood.

"At the start of the week, we were below the minimum of 350 units throughout the country and heading quickly to critical status levels," he said.

"We start feeling a little bit uncomfortable when our stocks reach 350 units, and since the word went out, we are currently at 390 units, which is a superb response.

"It is vitally important we have enough stocks as it's the best blood to be given to very sick babies, accident and emergency and other types of vulnerable patients.

"In Tauranga, we normally get an average 14 donated units per week, but in the last three days, we have collected 25 units of negative blood - a massive outcome."

• To make a blood donation appointment in Tauranga email info@nzblood.co.nz.