Whangārei blood donor Stephen Craw is encouraging others to donate plasma.
Plasma is the golden liquid that makes up half our blood and is vital for saving lives.
Northlanders keen to donate plasma can now do so without travelling out of the region, with the NZ Blood Service opening a plasma donation service in Whangārei.
Until recently, plasma donations required a trip to Auckland. After strong public demand, the Whangārei service is now collecting the life-saving liquid in Northland.
Among those making use of the new service is Whangārei’s Stephen Craw, who has followed 67 whole‑blood donations with three plasma donations since December.
Craw is urging anyone who has been thinking about giving blood, or is able to give plasma, to do so.
“After all, you will be saving somebody’s life, and that could be somebody you love, or it could be you that needs somebody else’s blood or plasma.”
Plasma is used to create up to 11 life-saving products and can treat up to 50 illnesses, from cancer and kidney disease to blood clots and liver failure.
Craw, 63, began giving blood in his 30s. He said it was a good way to give back to society and the health system after his son Alexander needed extensive medical care at Auckland’s Starship hospital, and he himself had a health scare.
“I was in the NZ Army for eight and a half years, and the blood bus used to come around to take blood from those who wanted to give, but I always wussed out. But when my young son had lots of health issues, I thought I’d better step up.”
That was in 1998 after Craw also experienced stomach problems, and a medical procedure showed he had a duodenal ulcer.
“They told me that, if it had burst, I would have needed a heck of a lot of blood. It was pretty brutal, but a big wake-up call,” he said.
He found the short time spent giving blood was no imposition.
“ ... You have to keep yourself fit and healthy to donate, so there’s that incentive for me too.”
NZ Blood Service Donor Relations team leader Scott Sinclair said the service started with two trial visits in December and January, and the results blew them away.
“Our goal for each visit was 115 donations, and we managed to collect well over that both times: 140 in December and 139 in January.”
Sinclair said the strong community support made the decision to make Whangārei a regular location in the plasma mobile drive schedule a “no-brainer”.
“We’ve just completed another visit [last week], which saw 150 donations in total, and we’re now scheduled to return every month for the rest of the year.”
Unlike whole blood donation, plasma regenerates quickly, allowing donations every two weeks.
New Zealand needs to collect more plasma as demand continues to rise by more than 10% each year.
According to the NZ Blood Service, 1500 donors are needed in the next 12 months to meet demand.
Sinclair said the Whangārei community had always strongly supported the NZ Blood Service, with its quarterly blood mobile drives consistently attracting large numbers, so it was no surprise that the community had turned out for the plasma drives too.
“It’s been heartening to see so many first-time plasma donors at these visits as well, which shows people are hearing our calls about the growing demand for plasma donations.”
Northland hospitals use around 75 units of red blood cells and 73 litres of plasma each week for patients in need, so Whangārei donors are directly helping patients and many others around the country.
Plasma can be donated in Whangārei between March 9 and 13 at Semenoff Stadium.
Book online via the NZ Blood Service website or phone 0800 GIVE BLOOD.