ST HELENS man Graham Goddard has been donating blood and plasma for the past 45 years.
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His most recent donation on Monday marked his 500th donation to the Red Cross Blood Service.
Mr Goddard has donated an estimated 235 litres of blood and plasma in total, with around 470mls collected at each donation.
He made his first blood donation when he was 15, influenced by his mother who was also a regular donor.
Mr Goddard said he believed in the importance of blood donation having seen first-hand the requirement for blood through more than 30 years of paramedic work.
His wife Glen is also a regular donor and has required blood transfusions herself after a near fatal car accident in NSW in 1973, which left her unconscious for two weeks, with severe brain damage.
Now 61, Mrs Goddard recently made her 415th donation and, like her husband, also sees it as an easy way to give back to the community.
"Everyone that can donate, should," she said.
The couple plans to continue donating plasma every two weeks.