As a recipient of many blood product transfusions, the young Ellalong girl has relied on the generosity of blood donors to stay alive.

Donors like Ms Duncan.

Since 1954, the Bolwarra woman has made 260 donations, making her Maitland’s most generous blood donor.

Yesterday Ivy, three-and-a-half, and Ms Duncan joined forces for the Blood Donor of the Year Maitland launch.

Ms Duncan and Ivy’s mother, Tiffany Tregenza, shared their stories during the launch in a bid to attract more donors.

“Originally I became a donor for all the wrong reasons. I actually went along to donate blood to get out of work and to get a bit of free lunch,” Ms Duncan said.

“I was only 17 at the time, but eventually the importance of donation hit home so I kept going. And hearing stories like Ivy’s makes you realise how important blood donation really is.”

When Ivy and her twin brother Noah were born at 30 weeks gestation there was little evidence of Ivy’s future struggle with life.

But after months of illness and battles with infection Ivy was diagnosed with immune deficiency disease.

In September last year Ivy had her first transfusion of the blood product known as Intragam P. On Monday she will have her ninth.

“This blood product is essentially other people’s antibodies, which are infused into Ivy so that her body can mount a response to infection,” Ms Tregenza, also a blood donor, said. “As a mum, I want to thank everyone who donates, who gives selflessly so that my baby and many others can have another chance. To me, that is an amazing gift.”