ONCE a grateful recipient himself, Melton’s Graham Dempsey has gone on to become one of Victoria’s most prolific blood and plasma donors.
Last week he donated blood for the 600th time and met one of the recipients of his donations.
“I give money to charities, but this is something I can give from myself,” Mr Dempsey said.
“Eighteen hundred people have benefited from my donations so far.”
Mr Dempsey received a blood transfusion in 1965, so he knows how it can change someone’s life.
“I rolled a truck, nearly killing myself, and had to have a blood transfusion,” he said.
“I couldn’t donate for a while after that, but started donating regularly in the mid-’70s.”
Last week, Mr Dempsey was introduced to Georgia Martin, 10, who was receiving blood platelets.
Georgia was diagnosed with a Wilms’ tumour in 2006. She had a kidney removed and went through 10 months of chemotherapy at the age of four.
Now, she can run and play like any other child because of donors like Mr Dempsey.
At 72, Mr Dempsey still has eight years of donating ahead of him.
“If I donate 25 times a year as I have for the past few years, I’ll be able to make 800 donations.”
He travels from Melton each fortnight to donate at the Ballarat Donor Centre.
“Life’s too short to sit around. When I die I want to be completely worn out.”
