Man donates blood an incredible 600 times
A man has made an extraordinary accomplishment of saving more than 1,800 lives after donating blood 600 times.
Bruce from Port Macquarie was egged on by his Aunty Mary after she had donated blood 70 times saying he would not be able to do as much as she did.
But, Bruce being Bruce, he decided to accept his aunt's challenge and went ahead to donate blood.
“My Aunty Mary told me she had done 70 donations, and that I would never catch her,” he said. “Smart lady, that one and the challenge was accepted.”
Bruce, 60, now skateboards to an Australian Red Cross donation centre every fortnight to give generously.
Since starting his blood donation, Bruce has become the first person in Port Macquarie – and one of only 60 people in Australia – to have donated blood a whopping 600 times.
All those blood donations have contributed to saving the lives of up to 1,800 people including new mothers, babies, cancer patients and trauma sufferers.
When asked for advice and encouragement on the process of donating, Bruce explained that it was a rewarding experience.
“The vampires at [Lifeblood] are lovely and it doesn't hurt much at all, so I encourage others to put something back, roll up your sleeves and save a life,” he said.
Bruce commended his Aunty Mary, saying that without her support he would not have reached the incredible milestone.
Image: Australian Red Cross Lifeblood