General News
7 January, 2025
BEST OF 2024: 350 blood donations for Kerry
Gilgandra local Kerry Fealstead reached a new milestone of donating blood and plasma 350 times.
First published July 2, 2024.
Even before his first donation at Paramatta in 1996, Kerry was a long-time supporter of blood and plasma donations.
He first tried to give blood at 13 during a school trip to Canberra. Years later, after learning he had O type blood – a universal and highly sought-after blood type – he began donating in earnest.
Since 1996, Kerry has done most of his donations at the Lifeblood Donor Centre in Dubbo. He has donated twice at the Orange centre.
“I’ve got a rare blood type,” Kerry said. “A universal blood type so, my blood is needed.” “Once I found out I had rare blood, I knew I had to [donate blood],” “One of the main reasons I do it is to help sick kids and babies. I do it for a good friend, and my nephew, who both died of [cancer].”
According to Lifeblood Australia, an Australian Red Cross initiative, there are over 500,000 active blood donors in Australia. Each blood donation can save three lives, and the demand for donations grows each year. One in three Australians are in need of a blood donation, but only one in 30 are registered blood and plasma donors.
