Bus driver saves thousands of lives

Frankston bus driver, Alan Craig, has helped save the lives of thousands of babies, simply by giving blood.

When Alan isn't working, he's probably donating his blood which is used specifically to save babies, like four-day-old Charlize, who he met today.

Every fortnight Alan donates O-negative blood and plasma which is sent to a laboratory where scientists extract the life-saving anti-D component.

Anti-D is given to women during their pregnancy when their blood group doesn't match their baby's.

“If you go before the days of blood donors providing anti D it was a major problem for babies and could cause still birth," Dr Len Klinman from Epworth Freemasons Maternity unit.

Only 200 Australian donors are involved in the anti-D program, Alan is one of 35 donors able to participate.

About 15 percent of all Australian mothers will need anti-D injections during their pregnancies, which means the precious anti-D donations save about 50,000 babies every year.

Today is Alan's 446 blood donation. He says it’s become part of his life now.

“You're a special kind of person doing that aren’t you?" his mum asks.

The blood service needs an extra 25,000 donors of all types to keep supplies up during the Christmas-New Year period.

To find out how to donate blood please visit the Australian Red Cross Blood Service or call 131495.