Toowoomba man has saved 1,500 lives through blood donations
A man whose donations have saved more than 1500 lives over the past five decades is calling on the public to roll up their sleeve and join him. Here’s how you can help.
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For Peter Korin, the work he has done saving 1500 lives has come at no cost – and he encourages everyone to do the same.
Mr Korin, 78, officially made his 500th blood donation on Friday across nearly 50 years.
When he was 27, Mr Korin said he realised there was a need for more blood and plasma products in Australia, which could help people undergoing cancer treatment, trauma victims, women giving birth, and people with blood conditions and immune disorders.
Mr Korin, who made that first donation in 1974, said to begin with he wasn’t donating because he personally knew people who relied on blood products.
“You just know that it’s important, and know that it’s something you can do for humanity at no cost to yourself,” he said.
In the last four years Mr Korin has had two family members who were reliant on blood products.
Sadly his nephew Paul Verblakt passed away on May 24, 2022 after battling leukaemia for more than a year.
He was only 57 when he died.
“It certainly does bring it home,” he said.
“There was hope that he could make it but it was too bad what he had.
“If I stopped donating now, I think I’d feel guilty.
“I’m still able to do this so why would I stop donating?”
Blood donations can be made every three months, and plasma donations can be made every fortnight.
Mr Korin said donating blood and plasma had become part of his routine.
Lifeblood spokeswoman Sandee Thompson said one in three people would need blood products in their lifetime but only one in 30 people donate.
“An hour of your time might give someone the rest of their life,” she said.
“You never know whose life you might be saving.”
Mr Korin said there were lots of people that can’t donate blood because of various health conditions, but there were often blood bank shortages.
He urged people who were healthy to donate.
“If there’s anyone who can, please consider donating,” he said.
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