Lifeblood has launched an urgent nationwide search for blood donors to help an Australian mum with an incredibly rare blood type.
37-year-old mum-or-two Amira is currently in an Adelaide hospital awaiting urgent open-heart surgery, where she is expected to need more than 20 bags of blood prior to, during, and after the procedure.
Lifeblood Medical Director Dr James Daly said any O or A blood donor in Australia or internationally could be a match.
“Most people will be either O or A blood type, but Amira has a rare combination of other blood types that need to be matched, which means any donor with O or A blood type might prove to be a perfect match,” Dr Daly says.
“We have identified a few suitable donors, but this mum will require a large number of units to see her through her surgery and finding as many donors as we can with the right blood type will ensure we can meet her transfusion needs both now and, in the future.”
Community members with O and A blood types are being urged to roll up their sleeves over the coming week.
“We’ve exhausted Australian supplies of this rare blood type and we’re now working with international blood services to search for potential donors,” Dr Daly says.
“We hope to receive a small number of units from overseas but for Amira’s surgery to proceed safely at least 15 donors with the same rare combination of blood types are still needed within the next few weeks.”
To join the search book a donation via lifeblood.com.au, call 13 14 95, or download the Donate Blood app.
