The Lismore Blood Centre in Bounty Street (26) was like a who's who of the Northern Rivers yesterday when Governor General David Hurley and his wife Linda unveiled the plaque in the brand-new facility located on the first floor.

As well as the Governor General, there was Member for Lismore Janelle Saffin, Mayor of Lismore Steve Krieg, Mayor of Ballina Sharon Cadwallader, Candidate for Lismore Alex Rubin, former Mayor and host Jenny Dowell and the CEO of Red Cross Lifeblood Stephen Cornelissen. Even with those distinguished names, perhaps the most important guests were Liz and Lucy Van Eck who shared their story of why donating blood is so important.

We wanted to share Liz's story in full so you can fully understand how important it is to donate blood regularly.

(Linda Hurley, His Excellency the Governor General David Hurley, Liz and Lucy Van Eck at yesterday's official opening of the Red Cross Lifeblood Centre.)

Liz started by thanking the staff at the Lismore Blood Centre and the people who donate blood.

My husband, Adrian and I both started donating in around 2009 before the kids came along. And while we knew then, it was something that really helped other people we couldn't really appreciate the hugeness, that is the word that I've written because I couldn't pick a word that meant it was good, it was something we did and we felt good about it but until Lucy was diagnosed with a really rare genetic disorder at six months, we didn't understand how big this little act really can be.

So, at six months old in 2018, Lucy was diagnosed with a very rare genetic disorder. She's only one of 100 in the world that we knew of then and the first in Australia that we know of. It gets a bit complicated, the background, but basically, her genetic makeup was missing a receptor that is needed for her body to register and stop creating inflammation. So her body naturally kicked off a reaction to whatever was happening, an illness or something, and her body started creating inflammation and it couldn't switch off.

After many months of investigation, our doctors in discussion with specialists worldwide through multiple countries, decided that a bone marrow transplant was the way to go. So in November of that year, we were admitted to the Queensland Children's Hospital for her transplant to take place, which was six weeks in an isolation room in the hospital.

During that six weeks, Lucy received chemotherapy conditioning treatments prior to her transplant which eliminated her immune system in readiness for the new bone marrow. During her treatment, Lucy received multiple blood products, including the bone marrow, which actually came from my husband. After searching the bone marrow registry, there was no fully matched donor for her and we didn't have time to wait for one to come up as her body was deteriorating.

So, we then became part of the Haplo Identical Transplant System, which is where 50% donor is used and similar to the plasma machines, I got to inject my husband to help him create extra of what they needed. He was then hooked up to a machine which took the blood out, spun it through the machine, like it does in plasma, take just the bits that is needed and return the rest. Pretty amazing technology to be able to do that and not have to wait for a fully matched donor.

During the time in hospital, Lucy's immune system was incredibly compromised, hence being in an isolation room. At times she required a top-up of whole bloods as well when her hemoglobin levels were low and the blood donations from complete strangers literally saved her life. Not only her but the friends that we made along the way, and even some that we already knew. A young daughter of (friends of) ours who was four at the time, a local family from Alstonville as well, were going through cancer treatment at the same time that we were up there. She received platelets and blood every single week for eight months of her 18-month treatment.

Without these blood products, she wouldn't have been able to continue the treatment for the cancer. She's now eight and two and a half years in remission. I spoke to her mum while I was getting this ready and her words were it was literally pumping life into my child. Before the transfusion, she would be lifeless, limp and lethargic and almost translucent in colour and afterwards, you could quite literally see the colour return to her cheeks and the next day she was a completely new child. So, it's really special.

Four years on for Lucy and she has never had her inflammatory issues return. There have only been a few speed bumps along the way post-transplant, one of which requires another blood product immunoglobulin. Lucy's body has not been creating its own antibodies since her transplant and the doctors can't really explain why. But being able to give her this injection once a week gives her the protection that she needs.

We used to go to Queensland once a month and have a five-hour infusion, which was pretty tough with a tiny toddler wanting to run around everywhere hooked up to a machine, but then when COVID hit and it was harder to get there, they taught us how to do it subcutaneously into her tummy and we do that once a week.

We're currently on a break from that because her latest blood showed that her body is potentially starting to create what she needs again. So, for the second time, we've had a break from it and so far so good. We stopped that in September and she's had a cold since but kids get colds so she fought through it and has been fine since then. We'll find out early next year if it looks like that she's keeping on doing that and hopefully we won't have to put her back on them.

My husband asked me the other week if it would be weird to go up to a complete stranger and thank them for donating when he saw a bandage on their arm and I cautiously said, well, it might just be a blood test not a blood donation. So maybe we shouldn't. But the urge to thank complete strangers just shows how much it really does mean to us.

I remember watching every single procedure that happened to Lucy along the way, but I still cannot stand watching that needle go in my own arm and I nervously anticipate the sharp sting that begins each process. But that small amount of discomfort to me is worth it for the large amount of comfort that it gives to someone whose life may depend on it. Thank you

Governor General David Hurley has visited Lismore a number of times since February 28 and recognises our resilience and told the gathering, "You've got to find a reason to celebrate the future. To bring the community together, to have a time where you can lift your hearts and your voices and just look at each other and say yes, we are making progress, and we'll get there and that's what I count today as."

"Important, of course, that Red Cross Lifeblood be able to be up and running again to do the work that is so critical for the country and particularly this time of year as people have holidays because we know tragedy will strike, unfortunately. But more than that, it's the message it sends out, not only to the community here, to New South Wales, but to Australia that this a community getting back on its feet and getting back on its feet well."

When you do go up to the first floor of the new Red Cross Lifeblood Centre on Bounty Street, you will probably be met by Helen Sager who is the Centre Services Officer, one of thirteen staff at the Blood Centre.

Helen gave some facts as to how much blood the Lismore centre has taken considering the years of service from the thirteen staff.

(The wonderful staff at the Lismore Blood Donor Centre)

"I did a little bit of math for our team, our combined years of service with lifeblood is 150 years. And if you shuffle that down to weeks, shifts, how many donations we've been a part of, I come to around 70,000 donations and with each donation, contributing to saving three lives, the Lismore team here and our donors have been integral in touching the lives of over 210,000 people."

Helen went on to thank the Red Cross Lifeblood organisation for caring about the Lismore team's plight after the floods and "wrapped up our little team until we were safe". Helen describes the new premises as "Bigger, better, bolder and quite simply, it's bloody beautiful."

CEO of Red Cross Lifeblood Stephen Cornelissen explained that Australia needs to collect 33,000 blood donations each week.

"They are not small numbers," Stephen said, "And I think what probably makes it more concerning is that one in three of us are going to need a lot of blood products in our lifetime and 1 in 30 Australians currently donate that are eligible. So, it is a big thing."

Stephen asked that everyone in the room become a recruiter so Australians can meet that demand. The Lismore App proudly takes on that role and asks you to give blood, if you are eligible, over the Christmas/New Year period when you hopefully have some downtime. The whole process takes about an hour but the blood taking is only around 15 minutes with the rest for admin and recovery.

Click on the Red Cross Lifeblood website link, find out if you are eligible (if you are uncertain) and book a time.

You know you will be met by the wonderful Lismore staff when you arrive.