Give blood: 'You never know who will need it'

Sandy has type O- blood, an uncommon blood type that occurs in approximately 9 per cent of the population according to the Australian Red Cross Lifeblood. Sandy is hoping more people will consider booking a time to give blood as it's something needed to save lives every day.

Sometimes colloquially referred to as a 'secret blood type', O- blood can be given to anyone regardless of their own blood type, however the other side that coin is that people with O- blood can only receive blood of that same type.

In Australia the most common blood type is O positive and the least common is AB negative. AB plasma, positive or negative, can be also given to anyone.

This week marks national blood donor week, a time when the government and medical experts renew their calls for people to give blood to save lives. There are around 500,000 blood donors in Australia, who have made 1.5 million donations in the last year.

"It's something we do for other people - you think of other people. You never know when your family or neighbors or anyone need blood," Sandy said.

"I just thought it was the right thing to do. I started up here at the [Mudgee] Hospital and was in Brisbane one day and they rang and said we're short on blood will you go to the blood bank. That's where I got started.

They've taken me over to Orange one night and presented me with a trophy for [donating blood] 50 times. I was given blood all my life before they started counting here in Mudgee."

This year the week is also being used as an opportunity to further the work being done to find a cure for COVID.

'The Australian Government is using National Blood Donor Week to call on people who have recovered from COVID-19 to help in the search for treatments for the virus,' reads information from health.gov.au

'The Government encourages people who have recovered from a confirmed case of COVID-19 to consider donating plasma to assist with the search for suitable treatment options.

'People who are healthy and well, meet existing donation criteria, and are at least 28 days past symptoms are encouraged to call to make a time to donate.'

To book an appointment, head to donateblood.com.au.