How Ian Crabb helped save lives by donating blood to Red Cross for 50 years

"When I began donating blood, I had no idea my father was a donor."

The 69-year-old retiree moved from Canberra to Tomakin on the NSW South Coast four years ago and only recently discovered his father, a British Army veteran, had donated blood multiple times throughout his life.

The former teacher's journey of generosity as a blood and plasma donor began in 1973.

It was March, and Ian, the picture of health, was heading to one of his first classes at Sydney University, where he studied agriculture.

It would be another ten years before HIV/AIDS began affecting the lives of Australians, and as Ian says, "a very low-key questionnaire process" was all that was needed before he could roll up his sleeves.

"At that time, I didn't know anyone who was a donor, or anyone who had been a blood recipient."

Nevertheless, when he saw the Red Cross bus near the university hall, he thought to himself, "what a good thing to do". Minutes later, he was happily hooking into a sugary treat handed to him by the Red Cross team.

Ian grew up on a farm in Western Sydney where he found himself assuming the role of veterinarian many times; administering vaccinations, assisting during births and stitching up wounds were just some of the jobs he completed during a standard day in the office.

"Needles never ever phased me," he said.

After finishing his studies, Ian begun his agricultural teaching career in Dubbo, where he continued tallying up donations to reach his first milestone: 50 whole blood donations.

Ian said in his first 30 years of donating, he was limited to four whole blood donations each year, or one every three months.

"About 20 years ago, Canberra got their first apheresis machine which draws blood out and puts it into a centrifuge which separates the red cells and the plasma."

He said the plasma is collected while red cells are returned into the donor's body.

"You can do that every two weeks, so now I can make up to 26 donations each year.

"Each of those donations is 879 millilitres of plasma," which means Ian has more than doubled his donations of life-saving blood products in the last two decades.

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According to Lifeblood, the Red Cross blood collection and distribution branch, plasma is desperately needed and can be used in 18 "life-giving" ways including supporting patients with kidney diseases, providing protection against measles, tetanus and hepatitis B. It can even help to treat brain disorders.

He said after decades of donations, he has noticed fewer donors at blood banks, much to the disappointment of nurses.

"I used to have to book ahead for months to get into Canberra - they were booked out week after week and always exceeding their targets.

"Now, nurses in Sydney and Canberra hospitals tell me they are really struggling to get enough donors through the door to meet their needs."

Sometimes, nurses have asked him to donate his A positive blood instead of plasma if the hospital is short. Although Ian's blood type is one of the most common, there is still a desperate need for the supply.

He said this year's flu season, which has been recorded as one of the worst in recent history, and the COVID-19 pandemic are to blame for the drop in donations.

In June, Lifeblood reported that 2000 donors were cancelling and rescheduling their appointments each week after reporting cold and flu symptoms.

When he started a new role at Queanbeyan High School, Ian discovered the Vampire Shield - an annual competition which saw senior colleges make as many blood donations as possible.

He said when the students heard about Ian's strong familiarity of donating, they begged him to get involved, and he helped the school reign supreme in the Vampire Shield.

"Queanbeyan High School, with 100 senior students, donated more blood than any of the other Canberra colleges for 16 straight years."

Ian said the willpower to donate blood to save lives rests in the younger people in the community.

"They may not have the money to donate to charities, but they have their time and health.

It wasn't until years after his first donations that Ian understood just how crucial blood donations are in saving somebody's life.

It wasn't until many years after his first donation that some of his loved ones and friends became blood recipients.

"One of my best mates had a melanoma removed but it had spread all through his body to the bone.

"They gave him three months to live, but he wanted to see his son finish Year 12."

Ian said his mate proved doctors wrong with the help of treatments and blood products: "He lived for seven more years and saw all three of his boys graduate high school".

"When I see how brave the patients are that are receiving those products, it's absolutely no effort at all for me to go in as often as I can to roll up my sleeves and give them some blood.

"We know it will be needed every day - today and tomorrow and the next day."

Ian is already looking past his 500^th donation and is determined to continue making the two-hour journey from his South Coast home to the Canberra Hospital, where he meets his number one fans: the nurses.

"One of them greeted me yesterday, Jose, and he's been counting down in recent months."

He said his heart is filled when he bumps into ex-students who he supported to make their first donation than 20 years ago.

"The first thing they say to me is, 'aren't you proud I'm still donating?', and I really am.

"For them to still be donating 20 years later is a great thing to see.

Think you might be too old to donate blood? Think again.

"Up until your 75^th birthday, you can become a new blood donor.

"Once you are a donor, as long as you're in good health and meet the criteria, there is no age limit."

Ian has one bit of advice for people who are thinking of donating blood: "Phone the number right now and tell them you want to donate".