Roll up, roll up: Wagga donors relieve critical blood shortage

Neil Wright has been the manager at Lifeblood Wagga for 23 years and donates plasma every two weeks.

He said after Australian Red Cross Lifeblood put a call out for blood donations in mid-May, the Wagga centre has been smashing its targets.

"We had a really great response to the appeal," he said.

"The community responded fantastically and we had some really busy days."

There were 555 donations between May 20 and June 3, which included 56 new donors.

Wagga has more than 2000 active and regular blood donors, which is above the national per capita average of 3 per cent of the population.

"I just love the passion of the donors and their excitement to come to the centre and have a milkshake and chocolate bar," Mr Wright said.

"And while they're at it, they're saving someone's life, so that's the best thing about it."

No strangers to blood and people needing life support, emergency service workers are among those who responded to the call out and rolled up their sleeves on June 3.

St Johns Ambulance volunteer Jacob Chapple is a regular blood donor because he knows his blood can save lives.

"I do it to try and help other people," he said.

"I've been a part of the emergency services for 16 years, and it's my way of helping those that need help."

For another St Johns Ambulance volunteer Mel Encarnacion, this was her first time donating blood in Australia.

She was a regular blood donor in the Philippines and since becoming a mother in Australia, she wants to model volunteering and donating blood to her young child.

"I want to teach my child what it is to volunteer and what it is to be part of the community," she said.

NSW Fire and Rescue Wagga zone commander Daryl Manson said as front line workers, firefighters see traumatic incidents where people require blood donations.

"We go and help people on their worst day," Mr Manson said.

"For a normal person off the street, they can come and do the same thing, they can provide something that will help someone on their worst day, and possibly save a life."

Police inspector Rowan Harris said giving blood can often be overlooked by people in the community who do not get around to donating.

He said members of the police force encounter the "fragility of existence" on the job.

"Having been to jobs where you know people have lost blood, or ... are going to need blood as part of surgery, to know you've done your little bit for someone is a nice sensation," Inspector Harris said.

"Every day there's that constant reminder for all of the crews when they go out."

Mitch Bryce's life was saved by a blood transfusion after he lost 2.5 litres of blood in a medical emergency while driving from Canberra to Melbourne.

Now, Mr Bryce travels around the Riverina encouraging people to roll up their sleeves to save other people who need blood.

"If I can convince other people to come in and donate, that's more than I'm ever going to be able to give back myself, just donating on my own," he said.

"If I'm donating as well as encouraging other people to come in, that's the biggest impact I can make as an individual."

He said while some people are hesitant to give blood because of the pain of a needle, remembering the impact a blood transfusion can have on someone's life can help put the pain into perspective.

"I had multiple transfusions at that time, and in some ways I say to people it's a privilege to be able to go in and choose to experience something," Mr Bryce said.

"When it's a life-and-death situation you are not worried about those things, you couldn't care less about a jab in the arm or a little bit of pain."

While the increase in blood donations in recent weeks provided a boost to the blood inventory, winter is the most challenging time of the year for maintaining blood supplies.

Anyone who wants to donate blood can book in for free at Lifeblood over the phone, in person, or online.