Steven first donated blood in 1969 when he was working at the Port Moresby branch of the Commonwealth Bank.

The local Red Cross Blood Bank had organised a competition between the staff of the four banks then operating in Papua New Guinea.

Steven recalls getting up far too soon after donating fainting. He remembers being nursed back to normality and was later driven to his staff accommodation where he spent the rest of the afternoon lying down.

The assistant manager at the bank told Steven: “No more lazy afternoons”.

In 1980 Steven called at the Parramatta Town Hall where mobile Red Cross Blood Bank donation facilities had been established to cater for a major emergency at that time.

He clearly recalls lying on an elevated camp stretcher with a nurse about to search for the ‘red pipeline’ when Steven’s then eight-year-old son, who was at the side of his camp cot told the nurse: “Don’t you put that needle in my daddy”.

Thereafter, Steven donated as frequently as he could at the RCBB’s Parramatta centre.

In the late 1990s Steven retired and he and his wife ‘escaped’ from Sydney to the Manning-Great Lakes area. With more time to spare, he became a regular donor at the Taree Blood Bank.

Initially, Steven donated whole blood every three months, but after having made about 60 donations was invited to donate plasma approximately every three weeks.

So what sparks Steven to make such a commitment?

Steven admits to not being in a position to solve any of the world’s major problems so he does the next best thing.

According to Steven, the inspiration to continue donating blood was sparked by the tragic circumstances that so severely affected two-and-a-half-year-old Sophie Delezio when a car crashed into her Sydney child care facility in 2003.

In that incident, Sophie suffered burns to 85 per cent to her body, lost both legs, some fingers and her right ear.

Here’s a tip from Steven about donating blood.

“Endeavour to donate late morning. From go to whoa, the process takes less than 30 minutes; about an hour for plasma donors. The welcome snack provided after donating is akin to a free lunch. Who said, ‘There is no such thing as a free lunch’?”

Steven asked that we make special mention of the dedicated nurses who work at the RCBB, Taree; ladies, please take a bow.

Following Steven’s last 99 donations, he has never fainted! Rather, he walks out from the Blood Bank feeling happy and well pleased with himself and rightly so.

“To top it off, I am now a member of ‘Club Red’”, Steven remarked.

Lastly, if you have any qualms concerning a modern-day Florence Nightingale putting a needle into your arm, Steven asks you think about young Sophie.

Taree Donor Centre is located at Shop1/6 Macquarie Street Taree. To make an appointment to donate please call 13 14 95 or visit www.donateblood.com.au