Ashburton Courier: January 30, 2020

Page 2, Ashburton's The Courier, Thursday 30 January 2020
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Local news at www.starnews.co.nz
Alan gives 100th blood donation
By Mick Jensen
Alan Huband has
notched up his 100th
blood donation and the
New Zealand Blood Service
has presented him
with aframed print and
certificate to mark the
impressive milestone.
The 70 year­old retired
to Ashburton five years
ago from Dunedin and
first gave blood in 1978.
For the past two
decades he’s consistently
given blood four times a
year.
‘‘They were calling for
donors years ago, and I
thought why not do my
bit,’’ said Mr Huband.
‘‘It isn't every day you
can do something to save
someone's life, but by
giving blood you can.
‘‘It’s quick and easy to
do and it’s a priceless
donation.’’
Mr Huband said he
encouraged everyone
that was able to give
blood, to do it, regardless
of their blood type.
‘‘I know afew people
who have received blood
transfusions, and it may
not be my blood they’ve
received, but it’s from a
donor like myself.’’
Mr Huband said
because he was over the
age of 60, each appointment
to give blood
started with his own
blood pressure and pulse
tested.
Donors completed a
health screen form and
had achat with anurse
before being allowed to
roll up their sleeve to give
blood, he said.
Each 470ml blood
donation usually takes
between six to eight
minutes and, in Mr
Huband’s case, whole
blood is taken and used
to help others.
Blood donors can give
blood from the age of 16
and until they are 76.
‘‘I’ll be ‘retired out’ in
six years time, but I’m
keen to keep giving until
then,’’ said Mr Huband.
The New Zealand
Blood Service needs
more than 3000 units of
blood a week nationally
to meet hospital needs.
Statistics show that less
than 4 per cent of all
possible donors actually
roll their sleeves up and
give each year.
Of the products collected,
some 25% is used
in cancer treatments,
18% for accident victims,
13% to help treat liver,
kidney and heart disease
Alan Huband completes his 100th blood donation and is presented with a
framed print and certificate by New Zealand Blood Service registered nurse
Lloyd Smith.
and 11% is needed to
treat pregnant women,
children and babies.
The mobile blood service
returns to the Ashburton
Club and MSA on
April 16. More information
on the nzblood.co.nz
website.
Family calls for epipen funding
after ‘scary’ bee sting encounter
By Linda Clarke
Abee sting has turned Marie
McDonald’s life upside down.
Marie’s two­year­old son
Marshall was stung on the leg by
abee earlier this month on the
dairy farm where she works near
Geraldine. Marshall had an
anaphylactic reaction and had
to be rushed to hospital.
Marie said she was moving
cows in apaddock, with Marshall
nearby, when the toddler
started crying and indicated he
had been stung. Minutes later
he was coughing and struggling
to breathe.
Marie, who has three other
children under the age of six,
called her husband Michael,
who drove him towards Timaru
Hospital; an ambulance met
them at Winchester and Marshall
was taken into their care.
He was later discharged from
hospital and given a prescription
for three epipens, which
deliver the vital adrenaline
needed to stop the anaphylactic
reaction after abee sting.
Marie said she was shocked
when the pharmacist asked for
nearly $350 ­ the epipens are
$149 each.
The couple could afford one,
but she said one also needed to
be kept at Marshall’s daycare
and another in the car. The
family qualifies for assistance
for just one pen from the
FundaPen project, acollaboration
between advocacy group
Allergy New Zealand and Pub
charity.
Marie said acheaper option
was available, involving her
drawing down the medicine
from an ampoule and injecting
it with asyringe herself, but she
was not confident of being able
to do that with success.
The auto­injector pens are
not funded by Pharmac or the
government as they are in Australia.
Marie said Marshall’s brush
with death had been stressful
and the family now faced the cost
of regularly buying epipens,
which havea12­monthshelf life.
She said she and her husband
worked hard and much of their
income went towardsliving costs
and bills like insurance.
She had reached out to ACC,
the Ministry of Health, the
Ministry for Social Development
and Work and Income for financial
assistance, but come up with
nothing.
On alimited income, it would
be a struggle to cover the
additional costs, she said.
In the meantime, she and the
family are living to astrict rule
that everywhere Marshall went,
so too did the one epipen they
had.
‘‘If he is stung again, Ihave to
stab him with it and ring the
ambulance. But that will only
give him minutes and they have
advised metohave three or four
pens as Imay have to stab him
more than once.
‘‘It is all so scary and new. And
bees are everywhere ... it is
always on my mind.’’
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