Trevor Bergman, a 59-year-old police officer from Melbourne, has become the 85th and final location to tick off, donating plasma in Canberra with the governor-general.
From Melbourne to Western Australia: A Milestone 35 Years in the Making
Mr Bergman began donating blood at the age of 18, establishing a decades-long habit that eventually transformed into a cross-country endeavor. The inspiration struck a decade ago while he was holidaying in Perth. Passing a local blood bank, he decided to roll up his sleeve as an unconventional way to see the country, abc.net.au reported.
Over the following ten years, his routine donations doubled as travel itineraries. His schedule took him all the way up the east coast, across to Western Australia, and north to Darwin. Out of 545 total donations, only once was he turned away—when a minor sniffle prompted staff in Albany, Western Australia, to send him back.
When I went past the blood bank there and donated there, I just thought ‘well I’m on holiday here, what a good way to see Australia.
he recounted of his initial stop in Perth. Later, reflecting on the Albany deferral, he noted that the strict safeguard was necessary: “The security of the blood supply — you’ve got to make sure that’s as good as it can be.”
The Critical Need for Anti-D and Plasma Supplies
Mr Bergman belongs to a small cohort of roughly 150 Australians who carry the anti-D antibody. Australian Red Cross Lifeblood representative Aania Tandon explained that this specific antibody is administered to nearly 48,000 pregnant women annually to protect newborns from haemolytic disease of the newborn.
When a mother’s blood type is negative and her baby is positive, the mother’s immune response can target the baby’s blood. Anti-D donors provide an antibody that prevents this immune reaction from occurring.
| Metric | Statistic |
|---|---|
| Total donations by Mr Bergman | 545 |
| Total Lifeblood centres visited | 85 |
Blood, plasma, and platelet supplies are utilized daily for cancer patients, individuals managing auto-immune conditions, and victims of road accidents. Lifeblood reported an urgent callout earlier this month after supplies dropped to their lowest point in a decade, driven largely by a prolonged cold and flu season.
Reaching the Finish Line in Canberra
The 85th and final location was ticked off in Canberra in May, where Mr Bergman completed a plasma donation alongside Governor-General Sam Mostyn, who also made a donation to mark the occasion.
While Lifeblood notes that close to 60 per cent of Australia’s adult population is eligible to give blood, only about three per cent actively do so. Ms Tandon emphasized that despite occasional surges following public appeals, the daily demand remains constant.
It’s very nice to know that in a small way, I’ve helped the community. At one stage, you may actually help yourself.
