A Cameron Park mum whose son needed numerous transfusions during brain tumour treatment has led calls for urgent blood donations in the Hunter.
Alison Knoester said her son Saxon, 12, needed blood donations from more than 55 people to help him survive chemotherapy.
Saxon had chemo and radiation treatment last year, following brain surgery.
"It was a high-dose intense chemo. With every round - there were four - he had to have blood and platelet transfusions," Mrs Knoester said.
Australian Red Cross Lifeblood is calling for Hunter people to "give the gift of life between now and New Year's Eve".
The service urged people to "roll up their sleeves" to donate blood and plasma, as 750 more donors were needed to boost the region's supplies.
A and O blood type donations are needed urgently. Donations can be made at Lifeblood centres in Newcastle and Maitland.
"Christmas is the season for giving. What could be a better gift than blood and plasma," Lifeblood spokesperson Brian Bruce said.
Mrs Knoester's call for blood donations was also for others she knows, who are affected by cancer at John Hunter Children's Hospital.
The "world of cancer" had taught her that blood donations were "hugely important".
"Saxon has autism and was scared by the transfusions. At first he thought they were taking his blood," she said.
"So we had to put it into terminology he understood. We said 'mate, these are power-ups like how Ironman gets his suit charged up'.
"Once he heard that he'd be like, 'yep I need a power-up, take me to the hospital'. He's a superhero-loving kid."
Saxon was wheelchair bound after brain surgery in March last year. The surgery affected his cerebellum, which can happen with tumour removal.
"He woke up with posterior fossa syndrome, which meant he lost mobility on the right side of his body," Mrs Knoester said.
"He couldn't walk properly. It was a big shock. He can walk now, but with a walking frame."
The Red Cross said demand for blood and plasma was "at a 10 year-high across NSW" and many regular donors take a break during the Christmas period.
One in three Australians need blood or blood products in their lifetime.
"Every 18 seconds, someone in Australia will need blood or plasma," Mr Bruce said.
Donating blood and plasma is life-changing for many patients.
"For some, it could mean spending Christmas with family and friends."
People in hospital over Christmas and New Year need donated blood due to serious accidents, surgery, complicated childbirths and cancer treatment.
More than 80 per cent of the population has an O or A blood type, so these are most in demand by hospitals.
To book, visit lifeblood.com.au or call 13 14 95.
