It started with a quiet moment in a donation chair and ended with a needle, a bag and a chocolate milk. 

For Warrant Officer Glenn Lawson, that simple act has been repeated hundreds of times, with each one a lifeline for people in need.

On September 23 he reached a milestone few achieve: his 250th blood donation.

Warrant Officer Lawson, of Headquarters Air Mobility Group, began donating at just 18. He was inspired by his grandfather who gave whole blood more than 50 times, back when it was the only type of donation accepted.

Now, decades later, Warrant Officer Lawson’s contributions are even more critical. Not only does he have type O-negative blood – the universal donor – but he is also negative for cytomegalovirus (CMV), a flu-like virus most people are exposed to before adulthood.

This means his blood and blood products can go to immunocompromised people, babies and adults undergoing intensive treatments such as chemotherapy.

This rare combination has made Warrant Officer Lawson a go-to donor for matched donations.

“There was a period where a group of us were targeted to donate to one person,” he said. 

“Every two weeks you go in there and jump the queue, give platelets and then straight away they bag it up and send it to where they need it.”

'250 is not the destination but a milestone to see how much I can give to support others.'

Growing up on a farm in Western Australia, Warrant Officer Lawson would watch planes overhead and imagine they were Mirage fighter jets, like the ones he saw in air show ads.

He knew by age nine that he wanted to be a pilot – “like half the kids back then” – and eventually joined the Air Force as an avionics technician.

Leading up to his 250th donation, Warrant Officer Lawson was nervous about falling ill and missing the milestone, but made it through without issue. 

He was presented with a commemorative pin, a Lifeblood coin, a block of Darrell Lea chocolate, and heartfelt thanks from the Lifeblood team.

“250 is not the destination but a milestone to see how much I can give to support others. The recognition is nice but not the aim of me donating,” he said. 

“It’s a good achievement, but I wish I’d done more. Because of deployments, I haven’t been able to give blood at various times.”

With the Defence Blood Drive underway, Warrant Officer Lawson encouraged others to get involved.

“We can do more than just be a serving member. All of us are serving the nation through Defence, but it’s also a chance to help out individuals as part of our community,” he said.

“My job’s easy; I get to sit at the table, watch TV and get some bikkies at the end. The person on the receiving end is going through a lot of heartache for them and their family.”

The Defence Blood Drive runs until December 8. Visit the Lifeblood website to find a donor centre.