Melbourne blood donations surge after Bondi Beach massacre

A record number of Australians have rolled up their sleeves in the aftermath of the Bondi Beach massacre on December 14.

Almost 50,000 people around the country booked an appointment on the day after the attack. Twelve thousand of these bookings were from Victoria. Lifeblood typically has 9000 daily bookings nationally.

Sydney centres had snaking queues and long waiting times. Victoria has been the state with the second-highest number of donations, behind only NSW.

In the week following the Bondi attack almost all appointments in Melbourne were booked out. Lifeblood’s website reportedly crashed from the volume of people visiting the page.

“I’ve worked through floods, I’ve worked through bushfires, I’ve now worked though Bondi as well,” Nor Azhar says.

“It’s just a privilege to be able to provide for people during this time … It’s such a nice thing to see a [surge] of people willing to donate.”

While some have donated for the first time in the aftermath of Bondi, visiting a centre is second nature for others.

Shane Patman has been a regular donor for almost four decades. What started as a spontaneous blood donation at a mobile van at his university became fortnightly appointments. Christmas Day will mark his 749th donation.

“Life is a gift. Christmas is about giving. So what better thing to do than continue the fortnightly habit and give life to someone on Christmas Day?” Patman says.

The 57-year-old, who has spent time working as a physiotherapist in hospitals, said tending to those in critical care encouraged him to continue turning up to donate.

“It’s such an inspiring, happy environment. Everyone’s there giving something freely … you get a sense of accomplishment, of giving back to the community,” he said.

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