Mr. Baird received his framed certificate from Guinness World Records last week, almost a year after his first attempt to go down in history.
“It’s a big title, it’s hard to get your head around it,” he said.
“To think that I have given more of my blood than anyone else in the world – I still can’t believe it.”
Blood donations Guinness World Record set Cessnock’s Phil Baird
Mr. Baird applied to Guinness World Records in April last year after giving his 228th whole blood donation, but this effort not able to be accepted at the time because the system employed was to include all types of blood donors under the banner of just “Blood Donations”.
After Mr. Baird explained the difference between whole blood donations and apheresis (plasma and platelet removal), Guinness World Records created a new category for “Whole Blood Donations”.
He made his 231st whole blood donation at the Australian Red Cross Blood Service Donormobile in Cessnock on Christmas Eve, sent off paperwork to England, and after eight or nine weeks of thorough investigations, Guinness informed Mr. Baird that his record had been authenticated.
The certificate states: “The most blood donated was 231 whole blood donations by Phillip Baird (Australia) who made the latest donation in Newcastle, Australia on 24th December, 2009.”
Mr. Baird made his first blood donation at 19 years old when he enlisted with the National Service, and has continued to do so every 10 to 12 weeks since.
He has only missed one opportunity to give blood in the past 57 years, when a scar from minor surgery had not healed.
“It’s a big title, it’s hard to get your head around it,” he said.
“To think that I have given more of my blood than anyone else in the world – I still can’t believe it.”
Mr. Baird applied to Guinness World Records in April last year after giving his 228th whole blood donation, but this effort not able to be accepted at the time because the system employed was to include all types of blood donors under the banner of just “Blood Donations”.
After Mr. Baird explained the difference between whole blood donations and apheresis (plasma and platelet removal), Guinness World Records created a new category for “Whole Blood Donations”.
He made his 231st whole blood donation at the Australian Red Cross Blood Service Donormobile in Cessnock on Christmas Eve, sent off paperwork to England, and after eight or nine weeks of thorough investigations, Guinness informed Mr. Baird that his record had been authenticated.
The certificate states: “The most blood donated was 231 whole blood donations by Phillip Baird (Australia) who made the latest donation in Newcastle, Australia on 24th December, 2009.”
Mr. Baird made his first blood donation at 19 years old when he enlisted with the National Service, and has continued to do so every 10 to 12 weeks since.
He has only missed one opportunity to give blood in the past 57 years, when a scar from minor surgery had not healed.
