Australians are being called to support the national blood bank, which Red Cross says is facing significant shortages this Christmas period. According to the Australian Red Cross Lifeblood Australian blood stocks require an additional 6,800 blood donations between Christmas and New Year to avoid a national shortage over the festive season. “It can be a challenging time for blood supplies as the need for blood doesn’t stop over the holiday period,” Australian Red Cross Lifeblood Executive Director Cath Stone said on Tuesday. “Timing is critical and the period between 26 December and 2 January is when platelet stocks are most under pressure,” she said. Platelets, which are used by cancer patients to recover from their treatments, require the blood donations of four people to make just one dose. They also have an incredibly short shelf life lasting only five days, and are unable to be stockpiled for long weekends or busy …