7News Just InNow, we have an urgent appeal as Australia's blood supplies run critically low. Thousands of donors cancelled over the busy Christmas period, potentially leaving cancer patients and road crash survivors at risk.
For more, Rebeka Petroska reports.
For Riley Coyn, Christmas looked a little different compared to other three year olds time.
So we were in an Ana hospital. It was really tough.
Diagnosed with leukemia six months ago. His health relies on the generosity of strangers.
He's probably needed fifteen transfusions now in the last six months. In any stage of time, he may need blood.
Riley's not alone for thousands in hospital. Blood donations are critical life saving, but they're running short.
We've got low bloodstocks following record cancelations over the new period.
Across Australia, six and a half thousand people canceled appointments last week, the highest number in three years. Fourteen thousand rescheduled or didn't attend.
We expect a certain number of cancelations, but this is much more than we anticipated this year.
It means an extra twelve thousand blood donations and needed a cross the country just this week. Here in Perth it's eight hundred.
For trauma patients and for people undergoing surgery, and for cancer patients. Blood does save lives.
Especially after a horror holiday season on wa roads, but the need for blood doesn't stop for.
A single patient can hugely vary from one bag of blood to the really unwell trauma patients twenty or more bags of blood.
It takes about an hour of your time, which may sound like a lot in today's busy world, but a single donation can save up to three lives. Just ask Tim, he's here on his lunch break.
This is my one hundred and eleventh donation. It's an easy thing that I can give back to the world.
I give to people need all year round. Rebecca Petrosca, seven News
