June 2026: Lifeblood Blood Donation

During National Blood Donor Week (8-14 Jun 2026), Chánh Đạo leaders organised a group donation at the Australian Red Cross Lifeblood Centre in Cheltenham.

In total, we had 6 members donate blood, including 4 first time donors. As a group, we donated ~2,400mL of full blood and ~800mL of plasma. This was able to provide 15 or more life-saving treatments. One week after donating blood, our donors received news that their blood had gone to recipients at Bendigo Health, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Peninsula Private Hospital and Flinders Medical Centre in South Australia. How wonderful!

The gift of life is truly invaluable. For our Charity Fundraising Project, instead of calculating what was given, we acknowledge the time our donors gave up to donate blood. The combined donation time was 6.5 hours, so $162.50 ($25/hr) is added towards our goal. A big thank you to our amazing life savers: Jayde Ho, Tracey Ho, Joshua Lay, Phuong Le, Phukhang Nguyen and David Tran.

Two of our first time donors share why they decided to donate blood.

Phương Lê (Plasma): “It had been on my mind for a while, but it kept slipping away. Then this turned up as a group, so wonderful. I didn’t hesitate. I did not know what my blood group was or what plasma in blood was. The rep said they are low on plasma and asked if I would be willing to donate plasma instead of full blood. I just said, “Yes” without hesitation. Through the interview process the nurse said donating plasma will take roughly 45mins. I have no issue with that. I deeply know why I am here and what I do here matters. I knew the staff here worked with good intentions therefore I wasn’t worried about anything.

At the very end I felt a little cold (shivering). I went home to eat and rest for a few hours and was back to my normal daily activities. I felt a little light hand on the needle. My body feels normal now and I would encourage everyone to do this. Giving back to the community or people in need is a wonderful gift for all.”

Phúkhang Nguyễn (Full Blood): “My mum often donates blood, so I was always somewhat interested. I always liked the idea of being able to help people, and donating blood was actually a very easy way of doing so. It’s all free and quick, the only bad parts are a prick on the finger and the initial injection to donate blood. Eating snacks and going with a group from GDPT definitely made it a lot more enjoyable. People should definitely donate more blood. It was a very rewarding experience. My blood got donated to Bendigo Health!”

FAST FACTS ABOUT DONATING BLOOD

• – Australia needs over 1.7 million full blood donations every year to meet demand. That’s three every minute!
• – A single blood donation can save up to three lives, providing essential red blood cells, plasma, and platelets for trauma victims, cancer patients, and those with blood disorders.
• – Full blood donation takes about 10 minutes (1 hr appointment). The amount taken is 470mL, and within 24-48 hours of donating, your body will have fully restored yourblood volume.

• – A plasma donation is needed every 33 seconds.
• – Donated plasma can help in 18 life-saving ways, from treating serious burns to cancer, fighting tetanus infections, treating immune deficiencies andsupporting patients through heart surgeries.
• – Plasma donation takes about 45 minutes (1.5 hr appointment). You can donate as often as every 2 weeks.

For more information, visit: https://www.lifeblood.com.au