Five amazing stories that Giving Life gave us

Libby and Pieter – Episode 5

It’s hard to imagine that an afternoon walk could turn deadly, but that’s exactly what happened to Libby when she was bitten by a brown snake while out with her husband, Pieter.

Pieter’s quick thinking saved Libby’s life, but her recovery was long and difficult — learning to speak and walk again as she defied the odds.

Bite Club - Episode 6

Eight years ago, Dave went out for an afternoon surf that would change his life forever. Not long after entering the water Dave was attacked by a shark, and lost almost 40% of his blood as he struggled to get out of the ocean.

After surviving the attack Dave started Bite Club — a support group for people who had survived shark attacks. The club has grown from seven original members to 300 in a matter of years, and offers the chance for survivors to connect and talk about their experiences.

Craig’s story – Episode 2

In 2004, Craig went to the snow with his family and friends, but noticed he was struggling to breathe. An x-ray on his lungs later confirmed that he had Alpha-1 antitrypsin, an inherited form of emphysema. Craig now desperately needed a lung transplant. Together with DonateLife, we helped him find a donor through our work in testing and tissue typing. 

Rebecca and William – Episode 5

Here at Lifeblood, we support Australian lives not just through blood and blood products, but also through organ matching, tissue typing and donated breast milk. When Chloe and Rebecca’s baby, William, was born prematurely, the fight was on to save his life.

After a harrowing ordeal, William began to recover and the focus turned to helping him put on weight using donated breast milk from Lifeblood.

Detective John Breda - Episode 2

Detective Sergeant John Breda was stabbed in the line of duty. Officers and by-standers helped save his life before paramedics arrived to take him to hospital. John had emergency surgery to repair internal abdominal injuries and a laceration to his liver, and during this time he needed more than 44 bags of blood to save his life.

Missed any of these amazing moments? Want to catch up on your favourite episode? Check out our YouTube channel here or watch full episodes on 9Now.