For Loch Sport Fire Brigade member Lyn Krejci, regular blood and plasma donations are just another way to give back to the community.
Having made 21 donations over two decades, Lyn rolls up her sleeves wherever she can by travelling to her closest blood bank or booking into the mobile van when it comes to town.
With many people close to her affected by cancer, she has witnessed first-hand the vital impact that donated blood products have on lifesaving treatments.
“I have a really good friend who is currently fighting multiple myeloma, a type of blood cancer, my sister has been battling breast cancer, and I have actually had a cancer scare myself some years ago,” Lyn said.
“I lost both of my parents from cancer, so it’s a cause that’s very close to home for me.”
Donated blood products contribute to lifesaving treatments for a range of conditions and situations, including cancer, rare blood disorders, immune deficiencies, road trauma and more.
“So many people rely on blood, and it’s important for me to contribute to that,” Lyn said.
“As my friend goes through her treatment and I see the impact of how donated blood has helped her, it really hits home how important it is to do my part.”
After retiring to Loch Sport with her family three years ago, Lyn was inspired to join CFA following a fire in the area.
“My husband was previously a career firefighter and joined CFA when we first moved here. Not long after, there was a fire that impacted Loch Sport, and I realised that I didn’t know a lot about what to do in that situation,” Lyn said.
“I had planned to join CFA as a non-operational member, but then discovered I was capable of doing so much more than I originally thought.
“I did my general firefighter training and now I’m an active firefighter and Brigade Community Safety Coordinator, and I love educating the community about being fire safe.”
For Lyn, both donating blood products and volunteering with CFA come back to one core philosophy – helping others.
“The way I look at it, donating blood or plasma is something extra I can do to support the community. It’s a cause that I am personally close to, it’s easy for me to do and it’s also so important for people to get behind.
“Every time I sit in the chair to donate, I think of all those people I know who have been impacted, and I think to myself ‘thank you for inspiring me to do this’.”
The Lifeblood Emergency Services Blood Drive runs until August 31.
