Blood donors - show of hands? If not, why not?

[caspernz]

So after my umpteenth blood donation this morning, I got talking with an old buddy in the afternoon about donating blood. He used to ride, had a bad accident and gave up riding as a result. We all know someone who has been in an accident and needed blood, crikey I can think of far too many myself, including family members even...

Now I've been fortunate in never having needed blood transfusions myself, touch wood, and it got me thinking...how many riders are able to give blood but don't? No, I'm not talking about those who live too far away from a centre where blood is collected. I'm just looking to prompt those who live in a main centre, who are able to give blood...to consider it. Heck, I donate to St Johns, Wellington Free Ambulance, the Westpac Rescue chopper. None of which would mean much if there's no red stuff in the bank when one gets to the hospital...that's my thinking anyway.

So not a poll, merely something to make you stop and think

[GingerMidget]

I used to be a blood donor as often as they would let me, but I haven't been allowed to do to to chronically low iron levels. I can however still donate platelets which I do occasionally. Work gets in the way though so its not very often.

I ticked organ donor on my licence though.

[thecharmed01]

I'm not allowed

Weight is under threshold and I'm always anaemic. Also have low blood pressure.

[caspernz]

Good on ya Ginger!

Yeah work does get in the way of things. My wife has that low iron problem too.

Did I mention free coffee and bikkies? No I'm not getting paid to harrang anyone on here, I do that for free

I've been doing plasma donations since early this year, done much the same way as platelets.

[caspernz]

I'm not allowed

Weight is under threshold and I'm always anaemic. Also have low blood pressure.

I'm sure I heard some women mutter a rude word when they read 'weight under threshold'...

[SMOKEU]

I'm not allowed

Weight is under threshold

Do they go off the BMI, or is there a set weight limit?

[GingerMidget]

Oooh I could try plasma. That might be easier. Migraine meds might be a problem now though, best I go find out!

[Gremlin]

Do they go off the BMI, or is there a set weight limit?

Set weight limit from memory (not my concern).

caspernz: ... whole blood

I've got the umbrella already... I think it's 25?

[Swoop]

Used to, but stopped some years back. Still have the card somewhere.


A mate has donated over 100 times and received a letter of thanks from the Govenor General. Most surprising.


Whatever happened to KB'er "Donor"?

[Berries]

Not allowed due to being English and obviously having mad cow disease. FFS.

I do think being an organ donor should be opt out though rather than opt in.

[Kickaha]

Do they go off the BMI, or is there a set weight limit?

There used to be a set weight limit, seeing as you're from the home of aids you might not be able to donate

Just ticked over 50 donations, whole blood only as they don't want me doing anything else, doubt I'll hit 100, to many operations and other stuff making me have stand downs over the years

[thecharmed01]

Do they go off the BMI, or is there a set weight limit?

They have a chart for height and weight.

Every time I've tried, they look at my height, weigh me, then shake their heads and send me packing.

I suspect that they would run into issues with my blood pressure too if they ever got that far - a blood test drops it far enough that I faint and it takes me half an hour before I can walk anywhere.

[caspernz]

Do they go off the BMI, or is there a set weight limit?

It's done off a BMI type scale, weight and height, but there's still an absolute bottom limit. The Asian girls I flatted with some years back were always hovering on that borderline...

www.nzblood.co.nz if you wanna do some reading and find out more

[BigAl]

Up around the 70 pints donated & always good to replenish with a pint of another sort

[Tony.OK]

Got a free blood donor t shirt the time before last donation, happened to be wearing it when I fell off my dirt bike and got taken to emergency 3 weeks ago, got a few smiles from the staff at HB hospital