The National Blood Service
The Anthony Nolan Trust
The British Bone Marrow Register
We’ve all heard of them, seen the advertisements, and laughed at Tony Hancock’s horror when he exclaimed ‘That’s nearly an armful!’.
It is only when someone you love falls ill or has a major accident that you begin to appreciate just what a vital role these organisations perform in saving lives. And they rely totally on willing volunteers.
Firstly, blood donors who go along to the regular clinics to donate some of their own blood, so that when a patient in hospital needs a transfusion the fluid they need is only a phone call away.
Most of us probably think of blood transfusions being needed following accidents or during surgery, to replace blood lost due to bleeding. However, for many people with blood disorders which affect their own ability to produce normal blood cells, regular transfusions are essential to enable them to lead a normal life.
Just as important, but perhaps less well-known, are the registers of people who are willing to be bone-marrow donors.
By registering with either the Anthony Nolan Trust or the British Bone Marrow Register the tissue-type details of volunteers are added to a world-wide data-base. When a patient is in need of a bone-marrow transplant the data-base is searched to see if a match can be found. By volunteering for this register you may be able to save the life of your next-door neighbour, or someone in almost any part of the world – it truly is global.
In the past six months I have received numerous blood cell transfusions which have helped to stabilise my condition. Other people in our own community rely on regular blood transfusions, or have been the recipients of bone marrow transplants. Other will undoubtedly need them in the future, maybe it will be you………
If you are in good health and aged between 18 and 40 (or 60 for blood donors), please
DO SOMETHING AMAZING
The National Blood Service
The National Blood Service holds regular donor sessions at Beverley Racecourse and other locations in the area. Contact
08457 711711 or their
website for details of dates (just key in your postcode).
Blood is needed for treating a variety of illnesses and conditions - not just for accidents and emergencies. Even for some whose illness has no cure, a blood transfusion can help to improve the quality of their life. The NBS needs to collect up to 7,000 units every day to make sure that patients in hospitals across England and north Wales are able to receive the life saving treatments they require. This means a total of almost two million donations each year are required to meet the ongoing demand for blood.
Each year the NBS requires a staggering 249,000 blood donations across Yorkshire but last year, one in 20 people* who visited a donor centre to give blood, was unable to do so, because the haemoglobin in their blood was too low. Iron from the diet is an essential part of haemoglobin - the substance which carries oxygen in the blood. It is therefore essential at all stages of life for blood to work efficiently. Iron is also required for energy metabolism and is necessary for the normal function of the immune system. If the body’s store of iron is low and there is too little iron in the diet to form new red blood cells, the symptoms of iron deficiency anaemia will start to develop.
The NBS recommend that you embrace the start of autumn by celebrating seasonal foods such as blackberries, plums, apples, pears, pumpkins, leeks, courgettes and parsnips. Lean meats, fish, eggs, nuts, pulses and wholewheat breads are all good sources of iron, as are broccoli, spinach, dried apricots, raisins and avocado. A well-balanced diet will provide you with the nutrition you need to stay healthy this autumn. Sheena Simpson, Communications officer for the NBS says “Eating a diet rich in leafy green vegetables, iron rich proteins and vitamin C means not only better health, but also a greater chance of being able to give a much needed life-saving pint to patients.”
If you are aged between 17 – 66 years of age, in general good health and weigh over 7st 12lbs you could support the campaign, just call the Donor Helpline to make your appointment to donate blood and help save someone’s life.
* In 2007, approximately 105,000 of whole blood donors (4.7% attendances) could not give blood due to low haemoglobin.
You can find out more about the British Bone Marrow Register at these sessions or through the same contacts.
The Anthony Nolan Trust
The Anthony Nolan Trust can be contacted on 020 7284 8226 or their
website