Hope for critically ill Aussies after blood donation ban lifted

Without regular blood transfusions, 10-year-old Marleigh would not be alive. 

The little girl's immune system wrongly identifies her healthy brain cells as foreign and attacking her brain.

Mum Kate is an advocate for blood donation and for years has been fighting for the system to change to include everyone who is safe.

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Under previous rules, sexually active gay and bisexual men and transgender women could not donate blood.

"We have so many friends, particularly our gay male friends, who would love to donate for Marleigh," she said.

"You know, the heartbreak that they had during the time that she was at her sickest, and we didn't know if we could keep her for longer than another 10 days.

"All they wanted to do was go and jump in a seat at Lifeblood and donate the blood."

Paramedic Steve Gelagotis has dedicated his life to helping others, but hasn't been allowed to give blood.

"I'm a healthy person. I look after myself. And it wasn't about me, it was about the fact that I was gay," he said.

This week, the Therapeutic Goods Administration finally changed the rules. 

Blood donors will soon be individually risk assessed, rather than certain members of the community being excluded by default.

The change will come into effect for plasma donations from next month and whole blood from next year. 

And while blood donation of any form comes with risks, Australia has one of the safest screening systems in the world.

Watch the full video in the player above.