It didn't hurt a bit

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It didn’t hurt a bit. I thought it would, but it didn’t.

And I even got to have a milkshake and some cheese and biscuits after it was all over.

I’ve spent three decades or so on this Earth and if there’s one thing I’ve been pretty slack with, it’s finding time to help those I don’t even know.

I like to think I’m pretty good at being there for friends and family when something goes south, and both personally and professionally I tend to keep my head screwed on when things aren’t looking as good as they should be, but when it comes to the whole volunteering caper, I let the side down.

So earlier this month, with a bit of encouragement from my girlfriend who after seeing my attempts at catching a sneaky little mouse in recent weeks was questioning my right to be called a man, I went down to the Nepean blood donor centre and donated blood.

Big deal, many will say.

But we’ve all got to start somewhere.

It’s only when you go through the hour of donating blood that you truly realise how important what you’re doing is.

And afterwards, you kick yourself for not doing it sooner, because nothing in life could be simpler.

One in three Australians will need blood or blood products in their lifetime, for a whole range of reasons.

34 per cent of the blood donated in Australia is used for people with cancer and blood diseases.

Most of us know someone who has been affected by cancer, hence most of us know someone who has needed blood.

The remaining 66 per cent is made up of a whole range of things, including trauma from road accidents.

At the moment, just one in 30 Australians donates blood each year. Somehow one in three and one in 30 don’t quite fit together. As we head into the Christmas period, the strain on blood supplies across the country worsens, with many people on holidays and fewer collection days available.

Daunting as the thought of walking into the blood donor centre for the first time may be, take it from me – you will walk out wondering what all the fuss was about. Plus, don’t forget the free milkshake I mentioned earlier.

Call 13 14 95, or visit www.donateblood.com.au today.


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