Donors needed to help Adelaide woman with rare blood type waiting for heart surgery

An urgent nationwide search is underway for blood donors with a rare blood type to save an Adelaide mother waiting for a match to undergo major surgery.

Australian Red Cross Lifeblood and South Australian Health Minister Chris Picton are urging Australians with blood type O or A to roll up their sleeves.

The organisation said the 37-year-old woman has a blood type so rare “just one in 10,000 people may be a match”.

The woman, who is awaiting open heart surgery at the Royal Adelaide Hospital, is expected to need more than 20 bags of blood before, during and after the procedure.

“Most people will be either O or A blood type, but [she] has a rare combination of other blood types that need to be matched, which means any donor with O or A blood type might prove to be a perfect match,” Lifeblood medical director James Daly said.

“We have identified a few suitable donors, but this mum will require a large number of units to see her through her surgery and finding as many donors as we can with the right blood type will ensure we can meet her transfusion needs both now and, in the future.”

Dr Daly said they have “exhausted Australian supplies” for this rare blood type and the net has been cast wider to international blood services. 

“We hope to receive a small number of units from overseas but for [her] surgery to proceed safely at least 15 donors with the same rare combination of blood types are still needed within the next few weeks.”

Mr Picton said the woman’s situation is “incredibly rare”, adding that “anyone with A or O blood types out there could be one of the matches she needs for her surgery”.

“South Australians are urged to roll up their sleeves and donate blood. It’s an amazing gift that has the potential to make a huge difference in the lives of so many South Australians,” he said.

The woman’s plight and the call for donors has since been shared widely on social media, including from the Islamic Society of South Australia.

Islamic Society SA spokesperson Filzah Rahmat said the organisation received the call for help from a family friend on Saturday and at least 10 young people from her community have donated.

“Because they knew the urgency that [she] was in, that was how the whole situation spread to everyone,” she said.

The woman’s husband thanked people who have donated in hopes of being a match.

“We are so grateful to family, friends and the wonderful people in the community, many of whom we do not know, who have heard about [her] plight and have rolled up a sleeve to donate blood,” the husband said.

“This is not a situation you ever expect to find yourself in. Any help or support is much appreciated.”

Lifeblood urged anyone with blood types O or A to book a donation on their website, with all donated blood being tested for suitability.