Grandfather who helped sustain 600 people through blood donation saved by his own selfless act

DONATING blood can help save the lives of at least three strangers. But as one man found out, it can also be your own saviour.

Grandfather Alby Thomas has been a blood donor since the early 1970s. Picture: Josie Hayden

HE has helped sustain more than 600 people suffering through cancer, surgery or car crashes, but Alby Thomas never thought his selfless act­ions would save his own life.

A blood donor for more than 40 years, the Northcote grandfather always believed in giving back when he could.

He started rolling up his sleeve out of a sense of civic duty after growing up in post-war Melbourne where nothing went to waste: woollen jumpers were unpicked, wound into balls and knitted into other items, and mates split rations to help each other out.

“I thought donating blood was the right thing to do,” he said. “Life has always been good to me and I like to help where I can.

“Now it has saved my life.”

Every fortnight he joked he would get his medical check before he rolled up his sleeve, but in September he was told they had detected something unusual.

An irregular heartbeat signalled something was amiss with him, and within weeks he was on the operating table having a triple bypass and getting a pacemaker fitted.

“I had what they call the hamburger with the lot,” Mr Thomas, 76, said.

“My surgeon told me I didn’t just dodge a bullet, I dodged a hand grenade.”

While he can no longer use a chainsaw or welder because of concerns it could interfere with his pacemaker, his surgery hasn’t slowed him down.

Just 10 weeks later, the keen gardener, part-time worker and volunteer is back doing what he does best — using his big heart to help others.

He hopes he will soon be able to resume donating blood, and urged others to consider it.

The Red Cross Blood Service needs another 1400 ­donors from today until January 3 to meet demand.

www.donateblood.com.au