Did you know 1 in 3 Australia’s will need blood or blood products at some time in their life?

Across the country we need at more than 29 000 blood donations every single week to help fulfil this need. 

The Whitsunday Region (and all of north Queensland) is currently lacking services for blood donations.  At the moment whole blood can only be collected in Mackay and Cairns.  That is huge 600km distance between the two centres, and a lot of kind-hearted, willing people in between who have blood they want to donate. Whilst Townsville has a blood donation centre, it is only accepting plasma donations, meaning those who are unable to donate plasma are simply just unable to donate, unless they drive to Mackay or Cairns. 

I believe if there was a blood donation service in the Whitsunday region, it would help save a lot of lives and also give Whitsunday residents a way to support those in need. 

I have started this petition to show the Red Cross Life Blood that we have people here who would donate blood if given the opportunity.  

I am hoping that with enough support The Red Cross Life Blood will offer us regular visits from their mobile blood bank services, or potentially a new centre opened up here.  

So if the following applies to you, please sign this petition and hopefully with enough support we will be able to donate blood in the Whitsundays in the near future! 

1-       You are eligible to donate blood or plasma. (if you’re not sure if you are eligible please take the Quiz on the Lifeblood website I have put the link below) 

2-     You live in the Whitsunday Region and would be willing to book regularly if a new donor centre was opened in our area. (I am thinking Proserpine or Cannonvale as suggestion area for a new centre due to population density) 

3-     You would be willing to use a mobile blood donation service if it was made available and serviced all of our local areas (Proserpine, Cannonvale, Airlie, Shute Harbour, Bowen, etc) 

If you would like more information please see the links below.

Want to find out more about Blood donations? 

https://www.lifeblood.com.au/

Am I eligible to donate? https://www.lifeblood.com.au/blood/eligibility/start-quiz

Why donate blood?

https://www.lifeblood.com.au/blood/learn-about-blood/why-donate-blood

Who needs blood? 

https://www.lifeblood.com.au/patients/reasons-for-a-transfusion 

What happens to blood once it has been donated? 

https://www.lifeblood.com.au/blood/learn-about-blood/what-happens-to-your-blood