Graham is donation hero

This week has special significance to the Australian Red Cross Blood Service, but it also saw another significant milestone achieved for a South West man.

Picture by David Bailey: Registered nurse Jenny Huckle helps Graham Innes give his 222nd donation at the Bunbury Blood Donor Centre during National Blood Donor Week.

Graham Innes, of Busselton, made his 222nd blood donation at the Bunbury Blood Donor Centre this week during National Blood Donor Week.

The Australian Red Cross Blood Service thanked its 570,000 blood donors during the awareness week, with Mr Innes included.

Mr Innes said he made his first blood donation as a teenager in Cairns.

He said he was part of a local footy team that wanted to give back.

Some four decades later, Mr Innes is still giving his blood.

‘‘It’s something I can do, it doesn’t cost anything, doesn’t take much time, I just pop in here every three weeks and let it flow,’’ he said.

The fly-in, fly-out worker said he returns to the chair on each swing.

He said he tried to encourage his co-workers to give blood on their return swing too.

‘‘I try to, I tell them it doesn’t hurt,’’ he said.

The Bunbury centre is also the only regional centre which is able to accept whole blood donations and plasma donations.

Australian Red Cross Blood Service spokeswoman Kathy Bowlen said blood donors like Mr Innes were the heroes of cancer patients, trauma victims and dialysis patients.

To make an appointment, call 131 495 or visit www.donateblood.com.au.