McNamara Law’s Ipswich office is the latest firm to make donations as part of the 2026 Legal Services Blood Drive, with the profession playing a growing role in helping meet ongoing demand.
At McNamara Law, Principal Rebekah Sanfuentes and her team have recently established a Lifeblood Team. The decision was prompted by a staff member who was already donating, and quickly gained support across the firm, reflecting a broader commitment to community contribution and practical action.
The initiative comes as Australian Red Cross Lifeblood continues to call for donors, with urgent need for A and O blood donations to prevent stocks from falling to critical levels, and thousands of donations required each week to support patients nationwide.
Ms Sanfuentes (pictured above) outlined what motivated the firm to get involved, how staff hadresponded to their first donations, and why enabling participation during work hours is an investment in both people and community.
What motivated your workplace to do this?
One of our staff members, Kara-Leigh, is a regular donor. While donating blood she saw that there was a Legal Services Blood Drive and she approached the Directors to see if our firm could participate. Obviously, given it is for such a good cause, we said that we would love to be involved. McNamara Law is big on supporting our local community and this was another great opportunity to help, with such purpose. For such a simple act, and a little bit of our time, we are saving lives. What better motivation is there?
One donation can save up to three lives. How does it feel knowing that your group booking is making an even bigger impact?
It is an amazing feeling, especially when we each received a follow-up text about how the donation was being used, or what hospital it was going to. That gave us a warm and fuzzy feeling knowing “hey, we did that!”.
One in three Australians will need blood or a blood product in our lifetime. Does anyone in your team have a story to share in this regard?
After a difficult labour with her second child, a member of our staff was required to have an emergency caesarean. During the C-section our staff member unfortunately suffered a uterine rupture, and she lost a significant amount of blood in the process. She was required to have a blood transfusion as a result. She is a very passionate supporter of blood donations given her experience.
Giving blood for the first time can be a little daunting. What was your first donation experience like?
It was definitely daunting, but nowhere near as bad as what we thought it would be. A few staff members had been wanting to donate for a while, however had never had the ‘push’ to do so. This gave them that push that they needed. Now that they have donated, knowing it is not as bad as it sounds, they want to become regular donors. Also, the staff at the donation centres make you feel so comfortable you kind of forget what is going on.
As Principal of your firm, it’s wonderful you support your people to donate during work time. Why do you support Lifeblood and the needs of patients in this way?
McNamara Law, while we are a business, we are also like one big family. Most of us have experienced staff members, clients, family members or friends who have needed some sort of life-saving treatment which included blood transfusions/donations. Knowing that we can contribute to that is wonderful. The legal industry is a busy one. We often forget to slow down and do the little things that make a big difference due to the pressures of deadlines and workload. Knowing we can allow our staff members to take some time to donate is the least we could do.
Legal professionals and firms interested in getting involved can form or join a Lifeblood Team and book appointments throughout the campaign period. To make an appointment or register a team, visit Australian Red Cross Lifeblood’s website or call 13 14 95.
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