As the days get longer, the weather gets warmer and we begin to prepare for the Christmas holidays, New Zealand Blood Service (NZBS) is calling on New Zealanders to consider giving the most meaningful gift of all: the gift of life.

NZBS has more than 24,000 appointments to be filled before Christmas to ensure it can continue to meet demand throughout the busy holiday season.

“Summer is an extremely challenging time to meet demand for blood and blood products,” NZBS National Marketing and Communications Manager Shane Paramore says.

“People are understandably busy in the lead-up to Christmas, and then much of the country takes a well-earned break. But the reality is, the need for blood and plasma never stops, and as New Zealanders stock up for Christmas - we need to do the same.”

Every 18 minutes, someone in New Zealand needs a potentially lifesaving transfusion. Whether it’s somebody involved in a traumatic injury, undergoing surgery, or battling an ongoing illness - a donation only takes around an hour and can genuinely make the difference between life and death.

“Your donation of blood and plasma will help ensure that patients at their most vulnerable will get the lifesaving transfusion they need.”

There are 10 fixed donor centres across Aotearoa, and NZBS will be hosting more than 140 mobile donation drives across the country between now and the end of January.

New Zealand is facing higher demands than ever for blood and blood products, and mobile drives are the cornerstone of collections across Aotearoa, accounting for around 50% of whole blood collections,” Paramore says.

“This summer, we’ll be actively targeting popular holiday destinations with our mobile drives in the hopes of making it as easy as possible for people to donate without disrupting their holiday.”

Every week, more than 5000 donations are needed to help patients who rely on blood and blood products. This year, NZBS has recruited some everyday heroes and real-life donors, as part of its summer campaign, to help encourage more people to join its lifesaving whānau of donors.

One of these Kiwis passionate about donating is Michael Loo, who began donating when he was a student in the 1980s. Initially he started donating because he wanted to give back, until an unexpected phone call from his cousin thanking him for being a donor put it all into perspective.

"A few years after I began donating, complications during my cousin's childbirth led to severe bleeding," Michael says.

"Her heart stopped in the operating theatre. She spent five days in intensive care and seven weeks in hospital. There were serious concerns that she wouldn't make it.

“In an intensely personal way, this highlighted how critical donors are. My cousin survived due to infusions of large amounts of plasma and blood products. Without people giving up their time to donate, she and others like her wouldn’t be here today.

“Donating only makes up a small part of your day, but it can be a literal lifesaver in someone else’s. That’s why I’m really proud to be a donor and I’d encourage anyone considering it to find out more and book an appointment.”

For anyone interested in becoming a donor, Paramore suggests downloading the NZ Blood Service Donor App or visiting the NZBS website to check your eligibility, find your nearest location to donate and book an appointment.

“If you’ve never donated before, now’s the perfect time to join our whānau of lifesavers,” Paramore says.

“The festive season is about giving and for someone in hospital, a blood or plasma donation will be the best gift they ever receive.”

Download the NZ Blood Service Donor App, visit www.nzblood.co.nz or call 0800 448 325 to book an appointment to donate.

About New Zealand Blood Service:

New Zealand Blood Service (NZBS) is a not-for-profit Crown entity responsible for the collection, processing, testing and storage and distribution of all blood and blood products in New Zealand.

We rely on voluntary and non-remunerated blood donations from individuals around the country in order to provide a constant supply of precious blood and blood products used by our health services to save thousands of lives.

NZBS also provides cell and tissue products and related services to meet public health needs and maintains national oversight of organ donation and distribution.

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