St John takes the prize for saving lives

The 2022 Australian Red Cross Lifeblood Emergency Services Blood Challenge is over for another year, with St John WA again coming out on top.

Beginning in June and carrying through to August 31, the challenge invites emergency services teams to donate blood or plasma and help save lives.

Every week, Australia needs 31,000 blood donations to help save lives and with donated blood only holding a shelf life of 42 days for use, ongoing donations are crucial to meeting demand.

Committed to saving lives in any way they can, the St John WA team have won the Australian Red Cross Emergency Services Blood Challenge every year since 2018.

This year St John WA made 409 donations, meaning more than 4000 lives were saved by the live-giving legends making up the team, which included paramedics, volunteers, and administration and support staff.

Internal Communications Officer Lia Griffith has donated more than 25 times over the past five years.

“When I heard about the Emergency Services Blood Challenge, I thought it was a good opportunity to both ramp up my donations and encourage colleagues, family and friends to do so with me,” she said.

“As a plasma donor I can donate as regularly as every two weeks, so I try to get six donations in over the challenge period.

“Although I have no personal or family connection to receiving donor blood, I have heard many stories of life-saving experiences with blood products, and I’m aware that the need for blood can often be sudden and critical.

“Donating blood has become a regular and enjoyable part of my life, particularly during the challenge period.

“Apart from loving a little healthy competition, I also look forward to the snacks provided at the donor centre – and most of all, the warm and fuzzy feeling that I’m saving lives.”

Blood donated to the Australian Red Cross Lifeblood initiative is used to treat countless illnesses across Australia. Specifically, one third of blood donations help treat people with cancer.

For more information on the initiative, visit the Donate Blood website.