What do the number 42 and donated blood have in common?
In The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy, Douglas Adams wrote that the answer to the great question of life, the universe and everything is 42. But for Australian Red Cross Blood Service, the number 42 isn’t just the meaning of life. It’s the key to saving them.
You see, every day, thousands of Australians receive life-saving blood donations, but what many people don’t realise is that the red blood cells inside donated blood have a shelf-life of just 42 days.
The means Australia doesn’t just need blood donations urgently, we need them regularly.
Your blood donation can help people such as Emily Hunter. Emily needed blood after the birth of each of her daughters, and like so many blood recipients, she wants blood donors to know the impact of their donation beyond saving her life.
“My family and friends are all incredibly grateful for the blood donations that saved my life,” Emily said. “I would not be here without those donations. I am a mum, wife, daughter, sister and friend. Those close to me know how lucky we are.”
Emily received her first 5 transfusions when she began to lose blood after the birth of her first child, Holly. She later woke in intensive care, her life saved by her amazing clinicians and by the blood given so generously by blood donors.
After seeking medical advice, Emily and her husband decided they would try for a second child.
“All of the medical professionals were very positive and felt that the risk was still relatively low. To counteract this risk, it was decided that we would have an elective caesarean section just before I was 39 weeks pregnant.”
But Millie, Emily’s second child, would not wait the full 39 weeks. “I went into spontaneous labour when I was 37 weeks pregnant,” Emily said. “We went straight to the hospital with the plan of going into theatre for a caesarean section. Unfortunately, when we arrived at the hospital it was decided that the labour was progressing too fast and it would be safer for us to deliver naturally.” Millie arrived safely at 2.45am, but the fight for life now belonged to Emily alone.
“Just after Millie was born I began to haemorrhage,” Emily said. “I had a condition called placenta accrete and this meant that the placenta had adhered to my uterus causing it to be severely damaged during the birth. I was bleeding rapidly and was receiving lots of blood. In fact, I was bleeding faster than the blood could be put back in.”
“I was given a life-saving hysterectomy. It took the medical team hours to complete the procedure. Without blood transfusions they would not have been able to safely do this.”
In total, Emily needed 46 units of blood, platelets and plasma — an astounding amount of blood that, had it not been there, would surely have meant she might not, either.
Australian Red Cross Blood Service has launched a new campaign to encourage more people to give blood. The University of Newcastle is proud to support the Blood Service through our participation in their Red25 group donation program.
So, be life, the universe and everything to someone like Emily. Become a blood donor today, and donate regularly.
Make an appointment at donateblood.com.au or by calling 13 14 95.
And remember to join “University of Newcastle” Red25 group, so your donations count towards our tally.
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