Warrnambool centre celebrates blood donor's 150th milestone

On Thursday Mr Baulch notched up his 150^th donation of plasma and whole blood which has helped save the lives of up to 450 patients.

Mr Baulch, 70, said he began donating blood at the age of about 30 after seeing the first hand effects the priceless donations had.

He said his brother Neil was 15 when he died from leukaemia and received a number of blood transfusions as he battled the illness.

"We were at boarding school together, we knew he was sick but we didn't really know what was wrong, they didn't in those days," he said.

"We thought he'd get better and then he suddenly died. We came home and buried him and went back to school. He'd had transfusions for a few years and that's what made me start. I thought I better give it back."

Mr Baulch gives blood monthly and said at each donation milestone there was a new goal to achieve.

"I wanted to get to 150," he said. "I'd like to get to 200 but we'll see how we go. By then I'll be buggered, I'll be too old and will have run out of blood."

Mr Baulch encouraged others to donate. "I think they should all give blood. You don't realise how many accidents and things take blood too. Three out of our four (adult) kids give, they've all started. They saw me do it and have followed."

He is one of more than 1550 residents who have donated blood, platelet, and plasma at the Warrnambool centre over the past year.

They are among Australia's half a million donors to be recognised as part of National Blood Donor Week from June 12-18.

Lifeblood spokeswoman Stephanie Reynolds said the Warrnambool centre needed more donors to join their ranks in the next year.

"With one in three of us needing blood or blood products in our lifetime, donors like Philip can't do it alone," Ms Reynolds said.

"We want to say a huge thank you to all of our donors who made a difference and to ask others to make a change for life by becoming a blood donor."

She said they especially needed people with O negative and O positive blood to make a donation to boost their supplies.

"Winter is always a challenging time for blood donations, and we are seeing high levels of cancellations, reschedules and donors not attending their appointments," she said.

To donate go to lifeblood.com.au or call 13 14 95.

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