The Donor - Winter 2003

The Donor

T NEER A O B T E IS TH REG IN JO ROW AR M

.uk o .c d oo l b w. w w

NEWS AND INFORMATION FROM THE NATIONAL BLOOD SERVICE WINTER 2003 • FREE

Group effort Saying ‘Thank you’ to companies who support the NBS

Getting the right red stuff

Tissue typing: inside our laboratories

Why we need more ethnic donors

THE BEST CHRISTMAS PRESENT EVER Remembering to give blood this festive season

WELCOME & CONTENTS Our campaign ‘A lot to say thank you for…’ marches on. On page 14 you can read about how more than 250 patients have benefited from donated tissues, thanks to the efforts of Essex Police’s Family Liaison Officers.

We are delighted to recognise their special support.

We’re always keen to recruit new bone marrow donors. On the back page we tell the stories of two such donors, and report on a ceremony that celebrated the generosity of similar donors.

It’s not only individual donors we’ve been thanking. We couldn’t do without the support of organisations that hold their own donor sessions.

Read about our Supporter Loyalty Awards on page 6.

Our centre pages look back to the early days of our service. The tea and biscuits haven’t changed – but a lot else has.

There’s a chance to flex those grey cells in this issue. Solve our new crossword on page 15 and you could scoop a prize.

You know the expression ‘shop early for Christmas’? Well, we’d like our donors to think about donating early for Christmas, so we can maintain vital stocks over this holiday period. We know it’s not always easy at this time of year, but we can help you find a convenient time and place. Just call us on the Donor Helpline.

Finally, a heart-warming story about how a little girl’s life was saved by vital transfusions. John O’Toole, whose daughter’s story is told on page 3, wants to thank all donors, and staff, everywhere.

Together we really do save lives.

Please keep writing to us. Or now you can email us at thedonor@nbs.nhs.uk

NEWS FEATURE

In this winter issue

The right red stuff page 10

Bouncing with health: Chloe cuddles up to Billy Blood Drop

and, despite her extremely shaky start in life, she pulled through.

“Chloe was a fighter right from the moment she was born. We knew she could get though this,” says John.

Chloe is now firmly on the road to recovery. But John will never forget how his little daughter was kept alive. “The blood transfusions Chloe received shortly after birth were life-saving. It’s as simple as that.”

Science matters page 11

3 NEWS FEATURE & NEWS

Good cause

Latest news and stories from around the country

6 SAVING LIVES? ALL IN A DAY’S WORK We say ‘Thank you’ to organisations who help the NBS

7 IT’S IN THE BAG! Blood packs may look a bit odd, but all those different tubes and pouches are carefully designed to make blood donation easier and safer

8 THOSE WERE THE DAYS A nostalgic look at the early days of the blood service

10 GETTING THE RIGHT RED STUFF We visit a busy haematology ward where patients with blood disorders receive life-saving treatment

11 THE APPLIANCE OF SCIENCE Tissue typing is a complex science that plays a key part in helping to make bone marrow transplants work

12 OVER TO YOU Catch up with readers’ letters plus health Q&As

13 BRINGING THE NBS DIRECTLY TO YOU A day in the life of Graham Brown from our Direct Marketing department

14 HEARTFELT THANKS FROM KATY Donated tissues save lives. We look at the efforts of Essex Police to promote the message

15 CROSSWORD A new challenge for donors! Plus up-to-date NBS information

16 A TOAST TO BONE MARROW DONORS We celebrate the generosity of those very special donors

Give the gift of life this Christmas!

F

or every family with young children, Christmas is a magical time, full of excitement and wonder. But for the O’Toole family from Barking, last Christmas was very far from wonderful. Their newborn baby Chloe was fighting for her life.

Last June Deborah O’Toole found out she was pregnant. But a scan at seven months revealed the baby had fluid around the heart. She needed delivering early to have a chance of survival.

PENNY RICHARDSON – Editor Complications

GOT SOMETHING TO SAY? We welcome your personal stories, questions and comments.

Write to Penny Richardson, Editor, The Donor, National Blood Service, West Derby Street, Liverpool, L7 8TW. Or contact us via our website, www.blood.co.uk where you can also find out more about the National Blood Service.

The cost of producing, printing and posting each copy of this magazine and the calendar is less than the price of a first class stamp.

The National Blood Service is run by The National Blood Authority which is a Special Health Authority within the National Health Service.

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NHS

NBS EDITORIAL TEAM: Louise Coxon, Ruth Greenaway, Vicky Smith, Lyndsay Stewart, Laura Summers. NBS Project Liaison Caroline Osborne.

The Donor is published by the National Blood Service. Reproduction in whole or part is strictly forbidden without the prior permission of the National Blood Service.

Editorial consultancy, writing, subbing, art direction, design and production Keith Hodgson and Hilary Joseph at Ant Creative (London).

Reproduction – LDPG (London). Printed in the UK by Apple Web Offset plc on paper from sustainable forests.

Find out where to give blood visit www.blood.co.uk

On 9th December 2002, Chloe O’Toole was delivered by caesarean section, nine weeks prematurely.

Complications meant Chloe was rushed into theatre shortly after birth and given a blood transfusion through her umbilical cord. She developed anaemia in the New Year and needed another transfusion.

Chloe and mum Deborah spent

Blood is always needed. One family’s experience made them realise how much we rely on donors, whatever the time of year Christmas and New Year in hospital – nine and a half weeks altogether.

When they finally came home, husband John was delighted. “We were so pleased to have them home, we thought we might have a

late New Year celebration!”

But there was more anxiety for John and Deborah. In April, Chloe developed a viral infection. It affected her breathing and she lost weight. But tiny Chloe was tough

Platelets: an explanation Platelets are the smallest type of cells that circulate in the blood.

They help blood to clot and prevent bruising. They are often used to treat patients having chemotherapy which often reduces the amount of platelets a body can produce. People with severe infections and those having major surgery may receive platelets, as they use up blood and therefore platelets very rapidly.

Unlike red cells which last up to 35 days, platelets only last for five days. Platelets are collected when you make a normal whole blood donation but you can donate just platelets if you attend one of our permanent donor centres. Ask for more details at your next blood donor session or call the national helpline on 0845 7 711 711.

Be a platelet donor call the Helpline 0845 7 711 711

“I’ve been a blood donor for a few years now. I always did it because I thought it was for a good cause – I never dreamt my family would be the good cause. Chloe is now a healthy, happy child – thanks to blood donors. I hope that in addition to thanking every blood donor for the gift they gave to my daughter, speaking about Chloe’s experience will remind people of the importance of giving blood, especially at this time of year.”

The demand for platelets doesn’t let up as Mark Jelly, national stock manager, for the NBS explains.

“Inevitably during each bank holiday period, the amount of blood collected is much lower because of the reduced number of working days.

“This doesn’t cause problems for red cell stock but platelets, which have a much shorter shelf-life at just five days, can be severely affected and it can be hard to keep up supplies.”

Happy Christmas Loyal donors and careful blood stock management by hospitals and the NBS, meant that the products needed to save Chloe’s life were available last Christmas.

The family is now looking forward to celebrating Christmas together. But before they do John has one last thing to cross off his list: rolling up his sleeve to make one more blood donation this year.

Please make a special effort to donate over the Christmas and New Year period. Chloe O’Toole’s life-saving blood transfusions would not have been possible if donors had not donated last Christmas. So please, this year make it your festive ‘must-do’ or your New Year’s resolution to give blood.

THE DONOR WINTER 2003

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NEWS

NEWS

Time to book an appointment For technical reasons, not all sessions in any one area will begin offering appointments at the same time.

More information about when your local session will be offering appointments will be sent to you with your donor invitation letter. So, please look out for it.

In the meantime, if you would like more information, please talk to staff on the session next time you donate or call our donor helpline on 0845 7 711 711.

Whichever way you choose – thank you for your donation. We look forward to seeing you again soon.

M

anchester United and England defender, Wes Brown, was on the attack for a change – supporting the NBS appeal for more people to join the British Bone Marrow Register (BBMR).

Wes (below right) is sup-

Topping out in Liverpool T

he ‘Topping Out’ ceremony for the new NBS Liverpool Centre at Estuary Commerce Park in Speke took place in July.

Traditionally this would have involved the final tile being placed on the roof.

But, in these safety conscious days Pat Walmsley (pictured above centre), one of Liverpool’s longest serving staff members, safely cut a ribbon at ground level,

with colleagues looking on.

The new centre at Speke will provide space for services already in Liverpool. In addition it will be home to Tissue Services including research and development and Tissue Engineering.

The National Frozen Blood Bank and a dedicated cleanroom for the Autologous Artificial Tears project will also be part of the new development.

Built on the site of the old Liverpool airport, an area of urban renewal, the new centre also has space for expansion to allow further developments in the future.

The Centre will open after a further 12 months of work, involving fitting out, commissioning and testing of the specialist systems and technology.

Staff will move to their new centre in late 2004.

New look for the Donor Health Check I

Donors will soon have the choice of either an appointment or just turning up to give blood

Freedom of information and you the donor

T

he Freedom of Information (FOI) Act aims to give the public the legal right to know information about organisations, how they function, operate and make decisions. Details about the FOI and the information we will be publishing about the NBS can be found at www.blood.co.uk.

The Data Protection Act enables individuals to seek access to information held about themselves.

At the heart of the NBS’s work is the promise we make to donors that their personal details are kept safely and only used in ways that are essential to our operation.

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They both wanted to thank blood and platelet donors for all the blood and blood products Stewart has received during his treatment.

Whilst they were there, they both met platelet donor

Lifeblood: The NBS gets on TV E

n response to recent donor comments, from next spring we are introducing a ‘new look’ Donor Health Check. This is the tick box form that we ask you to fill in each time you come to give blood.

We have developed the new look using feedback from donors on the existing form. We also set up small research groups and used staff feedback. The most obvious change is that the form is no longer in black and white, it is in colour.

Redesigning the form has been a real joint effort between donors and staff and we hope you will like it.

To make the change clear and simple, we aim to introduce this new form on the same date across the whole country.

This means that if you come to donate on or after the 5th April 2004, you will need to have completed a coloured form.Unfortunately,

DAVE ECCLES

F

ollowing several successful pilot tests during the summer months, we have begun a programme to roll out appointments at sessions – giving you more choice.

So, within the next few months, you will have the flexibility to turn up as you have always done or, if you would prefer, to make an appointment for your next session.

We very much hope that the introduction of donation appointments will reduce waiting times for everyone, but there will always be beds available at each session for donors without appointments. So the choice is yours.

Wes Brown scores for Bone Marrow appeal

porting the NBS and the BBMR because this campaign is close to his heart.

His life-long friend Stewart McKay (above centre), has leukaemia and Wes has pledged to support Stewart in any way he can. Wes and Stewart grew up in Longsight, Manchester and have been firm friends for over 20 years.

Wes was more than happy to pop in with Stewart to the NBS Manchester centre to put his weight behind the campaign and meet some of our life-saving donors and the staff who work there.

Rebecca Walsh ( below left).

Wes also made an appeal, on TV and in the press, asking people to join the BBMR to help patients like Stewart who may still be in need of a bone marrow transplant.

The pair are backing the NBS 2003 ‘A lot to say thank you for…’ campaign which aims to say a well-deserved ‘Thank you’ to donors as well as encouraging more people to join the BBMR. Wes said, "I’m here to support this campaign because if it was not for blood donors then Stewart might not be here today."

ver wondered what goes on behind the scenes of a collection team?

Wanted to see first hand how blood is processed and tested back at the blood centre? Or be able to put just a few faces to the many patients who have received blood over the years?

Then the new Channel five TV series ‘Lifeblood’ is one to watch. Presented

by Janet Ellis, (pictured above left), who was a member of the Blue Peter team, ‘Lifeblood’ takes you into the world of blood as never before.

The programmes introduce us to the Hertfordshire collection team,

with behind the scenes footage in hospitals, blood centres and local blood donor sessions.

We meet patients undergoing treatment, waiting for and receiving transfusions, as well as recipients who have needed blood and blood products. They all make us realise the vital role blood and bone marrow donors play on their road to recovery.

We think you should be setting your video for this one. So, catch ‘Lifeblood’, every week day on Channel five from 1st December to 5th December, Monday to Friday at 9.30am.

Casualty stars at awards presentation

Good news for travellers F after that date, if you turn up with an old black and white form you will be asked to fill in a new one.

The new Donor Health Check forms will be sent to your home in the normal way, for all blood donor sessions that are due to take place on or after the launch date. If you do not have a new form, don’t worry – there will be plenty available at the session.

There are a number of new features to the form that we hope make it easier and quicker for you to complete.

To help you to fill it in correctly, you’ll also receive a leaflet. There will also be information available at sessions before the form is introduced and if you are still unsure you can always ask a member of your local team to explain it to you.

Watch ‘Lifeblood’ – The NBS on TV 1st to 5th

or some time now, most donors who have visited an area where there is a risk of malaria have been asked to postpone donation for 12 months following their return to this country.

Many of you were unhappy at missing the opportunity to donate. For some frequent travellers this has meant an almost permanent stop to their donations.

Why are we so concerned about the malaria risk? Well, every year, several thousand cases are brought to the UK through travel to areas where

malaria is common. We have the highest incidence of travel related malaria compared with other non-endemic areas such as Northern Europe or North America.

The good news is that now we are able to test your donation for malarial antibodies six months after your return.

This means that you don’t have to wait 12 months any more. In fact if you returned in June your six months is up during December, just in time to give that important seasonal donation.

M

artina Laird and Sarah Manners, stars of TV drama ‘Casualty’, joined NBS staff to say ‘Thank you’ to 30 loyal blood donating organisations at the Bristol Supporter Loyalty Awards.

Representatives from companies such as Rolls Royce, Bowyers and Lloyds TSB were presented with engraved plaques to commemorate their dedication to saving lives.

But the biggest ‘Thank

9.30am every weekday morning on five

you’ of all came from local recipients Andrew Foulger and Duncan Sime. Andrew, 8, was born with a congenital heart defect and by his fifth birthday had endured four open-heart operations. He had numerous blood transfusions but has recovered and is now a healthy little boy.

Duncan, a fireman from Gloucester, survived two separate but serious road traffic accidents thanks to blood

donors, despite having lifethreatening injuries.

He said, "It’s a great honour to meet some of those donors who helped to save my life – twice."

Pictured above are Sarah Manners (far left) Martina Laird (far right) presenting a plaque to staff from sausage producers Bowyers, with help from recipients Andrew Foulger (centre) and Duncan Sime (third from left).

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CAMPAIGN NEWS

BLOOD COLLECTION Station Commander, Group Captain Ray Lock with Flight Lieutenant John MakinsonSanders and two Senior Aircraftswomen from RAF Lyneham, with their ‘Thank you’ plaque

It’s in the bag!

stocks on hand to cope. Staff are encouraged to donate and many do, despite being so busy.

Rosie Cooper, Chairman of the hospital trust, says “I'm very pleased Liverpool Women's Hospital and the NBS have such a good relationship. I'm very proud that staff here also take the time to donate blood. Without blood donors, hospital staff would find their roles impossible.”

W

e’ve come a long way from the simple glass bottle that we used to collect blood in. Today’s blood packs are complex and ingeniously designed to make blood donation and its processing simpler and safer.

When you look at the donation pack attached to your arm, you’ll see it’s not simply one bag or pouch but a complex, sterile system of bags and tubes that are joined together. This system allows the

A national service The armed forces’ support for patients began back in the 1940s when men completing their National Service were actively encouraged to donate blood.

Today, the support is as strong as

received 70 units of blood.

Regular sessions are also held in many hospitals. The Liverpool Women’s Hospital provides obstetric and gynaecological services, and cares for around 800

babies each year in its neonatal unit.

Here, staff know very well how vital blood is for some of their patients. Haemorrhaging after birth is still a hazard, but no longer fatal because hospitals have blood

But what makes a company decide to hold its own blood donor session? It may, sadly, follow a tragedy. Staff from Grimsby based companies Novartis and Syngenta wanted to hold their own session after the tragic death of a colleague following a car accident. During the fight to save his life he

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Full up: processing starts with your donation bag

donated blood to be processed and separated into its components – red cells, platelets, white cells, and plasma – without the pack being opened.

The blood pack

A message of thanks

Company commitment

Julia Demott and Richard Archer regularly donate at Rolls Royce

You can host a company session call 0845 7 711 711

Separation The blood in the main donation pack is now separated to produce bags of red cells, platelets and plasma.

5 Plasma bag

ever with army barracks, airforce and naval bases regularly holding donor sessions.

Royal Air Force Lyneham is home to the RAF’s Tactical Air Transport Force and is one of the largest and busiest operational stations.

Flight Lieutenant John MakinsonSanders says, “The personnel stationed at RAF Lyneham are incredibly proud to be recognised for their contribution with this Supporter Loyalty Award. “The servicemen and women, MOD civil servants and contractors based at RAF Lyneham look forward to the continuation of their close links with the NBS well into the future.”

We want to let each company know that the Supporter Loyalty Award it receives is an expression of thanks to blood donors and employers alike. This collective dedicated support is essential to blood collection and helps the service to save and improve the lives of thousands of patients every day around the country.

If you are interested in setting up a regular blood donor session in your workplace just call our helpline on 0845 7 711 711.

After a donor session, the blood packs are taken back to the nearest blood centre for processing by NBS laboratory staff.

Main donation bag

ILLUSTRATION CYRUS DEBOO

A

It’s not only individual donors who deserve praise and special awards. Organisations who hold their own blood donor sessions also play an essential role in helping the NBS save lives. This year we decided to recognise the important work they do

The fourth element in the blood pack is the main donation bag (4).

This is where your blood donation is collected. This bag contains a harmless chemical to prevent the blood clotting.

4

Saving lives? It’s all in a day’s work s part of our big ‘Thank you’ campaign, we’ve been travelling the country presenting Supporter Loyalty Awards to companies. A special plaque is presented to an organisation that has shown outstanding support and commitment to the NBS by holding donor sessions for its employees for more than two years.

Some companies, such as Rolls Royce in Derby, have a longstanding relationship with us. The engine company has been encouraging its employees to donate life-saving blood for a staggering 45 years.

Back in 1958, Rolls Royce’s original aim was to get 1,000 blood donations from its first three sessions and its employees are still rolling up their sleeves to support patients today.

That bag we attach to your arm is no ordinary one. It plays a key part in turning donated blood into vital blood components

Donations are collected in a four bag blood pack. Its first element is the needle (1). Next is the pouch (2) in which the first few drops of blood are collected. Collecting the first few drops stops any skin bacteria on the needle from getting into the pack.

Then comes the sample side coupler (3) that collects blood and transfers it into three separate sampling tubes. These tubes have the same unique barcode and donation number as the blood pack and travel with it to the blood centre. While the donation is processed, these blood samples are tested for blood group, HIV, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, syphilis and human Tcell lymphotropic virus (HTLV).

To do this, the blood pack is spun in a large centrifuge, similar to a spin dryer. This makes the components settle at different levels in the pack, according to their weight: red cells at the bottom, plasma at the top and platelets, with some white cells in the middle.

The pack is then squeezed by machine. Plasma is pushed up into one bag (5) and red cells are pushed down to the transfer bag at the bottom (6). The remaining platelets and white cells stay behind in the main bag (4).

Any remaining white cells are removed using the leucodepletion filter (7). The now filtered red cells are collected in the last bag (8).

White cells are not needed and indeed can cause transfusion reactions in some recipients. Their removal is thought to decrease the risk of transmitting variant Creutzfeld-Jacob Disease (vCJD).

3 Sample side coupler 7 Leucodepletion filter How it all works: Donated Pouch blood is collected in bag 4.

The bag is then spun to Needle separate the blood into its main components. Once separated, the bag is compressed - plasma is pushed out of the top into bag 5, red cells go into transfer bag 6 and then on to bag 8, after having had the white cells removed by the leucodepletion filter 7. Platelets and some white cells remain in bag 4.

2 1

6 Red cell transfer bag

Did you know? ● Evening donors may notice they have one less bag on their pack.

This is because we often don’t collect platelets at this time.

Platelets have to be processed on the day they are collected, and there isn’t usually time for this with evening donations. Also, if you are on medication we may not collect platelets from you. ● The NBS buys packs from three different manufacturers – and we’re very selective! Thousands of bags are tested before a new company or pack design gets the green light. Using more than one supplier means blood collection won’t be affected if a fault is detected with a pack. The other two suppliers will meet demand and ensure a supply of blood in safe packs. ● One bag of red cells may also be split into four smaller, paediatric packs which are used for transfusing babies.

8 Filtered red cell bag

The four main donation bags (4) with platelets left in, are then linked together by a machine which makes a sterile ‘weld’ in the tubing, to produce one adult dose of platelets. A further filtering process removes the remaining white cells leaving just the platelets.

And that’s it. Assuming the tests are negative, the blood components are labelled and stored at the appropriate temperature ready to be issued to local hospitals.

Save a life – fill a bag, for details call 0845 7 711 711

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NBS HISTORY

NBS HISTORY

T

oday we take the National Blood Service for granted.

Yet it started from very humble beginnings, during the Second World War, and is now one of the most advanced blood services in the world.

Blood transfusion was demonstrated by James Blundell in the 19th century but, without understanding the ABO blood group system, doctors couldn’t use the technique safely. Then in 1900 Dr Karl Landsteiner unlocked the mystery.

In 1921 a group of volunteers from the British Red Cross gave blood at King’s College Hospital in London, which led to the formation of the first voluntary blood service and donor panel. During this time, blood transfusion was sometimes performed directly from donor to patient. This was quite a difficult process, and could subject the donor to some unpleasant sights!

Pre-war beginnings The first blood bank was set up in 1937, using methods for storing blood developed during the Spanish Civil War. With world war brewing the bank prepared to meet the need for blood for civilian casualties. War came and in 1939 four blood storage depots were established in London. The blood

was put to good use in 1940, treating some of the 340,000 troops evacuated from Dunkirk, and during 1940 and 1942 when London and other major British cities were heavily bombed.

The war established that having blood banks was a good idea, and in 1946 the National Blood Transfusion Service was founded, with ten Regional Transfusion

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Left: A nurse looks after a donor who has just given blood, whilst others get the customary cup of tea

donors complete before donating is far more extensive than in the service’s early days. Then, donors were asked just a few questions, such as had they had jaundice?

Today, the questions we ask donors are designed to help protect the health of donors and patients.

In 1946 donated blood was tested for blood group and syphilis.

As medical knowledge has widened, other tests for bloodborne diseases have been introduced – hepatitis B in 1972 and HIV in 1986, hepatitis C in 1991, and just last year a test for HTLV – human T-lymphotropic virus.

different components in a selfcontained, sterile environment, enabling not just one, but several patients to be helped by a single blood donation.

Recruitment In 1946, an ‘Enrolment Squad’ targeted potential donors – armed with a loud-speaker van to enlist volunteers. Peter Howell , archivist for the British Blood Transfusion Society, recalls how, in the 1950s and 1960s, there was a community spirit amongst people who had been brought together by the war, which was beneficial to blood collection.

Blood donor sessions were set up in factories, town halls and in rural

Those were the days How much has changed since the National Blood Service first began? We take a nostalgic look at the service from its early days during the Second World War to now…

A loud speaker appeal unit in Kingston Surrey, with a nurse collecting names of volunteers

Centres (RTCs) and two transfusion centres in London. The RTCs operated almost independently, collecting blood from donors in a particular region and supplying hospitals in the same area.

In 1949, the Bio Products Laboratory (BPL) opened. Its first

product was freeze-dried plasma, then later the many additional products from blood components, such as coagulation factors, immunoglobins and human albumin solution.

Decades passed, the number of blood donors grew, and in 1994, management of the Regional Transfusion Centres was transferred from Regional Health Authorities to a national body.

The National Blood Service is an integral part of the NHS and is managed with national objectives, standards and procedures. Today there are 15 blood centres across England and North Wales working together to collect, process and distribute blood to local hospitals.

Donor sessions But what was it like to be a donor in those early days? Mr William Briggs, a retired donor from York, remembers, “I started giving blood when I was doing my National Service, and it was good to be given

communities, where donating blood was seen as a social event, something you did with your friends, colleagues and neighbours.

Volunteer local organisers played an important role in retaining donors, always giving them a warm welcome, while being invaluable sources of local knowledge for organising sessions.

During the Second World War, campaigns were introduced to recruit donors and these were

Above: Harry Secombe chats to a WRAC donor whilst donating at the Army Blood Supply Depot in Aldershot.

Below: Blood collected and transported in glass bottles.

Important tests These tests, and others we carry out, play an important role in detecting any blood-borne diseases

the afternoon off to do so! I always felt that it was better to give blood than receive it. It was a very basic set up back then, but you always got your tea and biscuits!”

A blood test was carried out by taking a drop of blood from the donor’s earlobe or from a finger, and the blood group test was done

The war established that having blood banks was a good idea, and in 1946 a national blood service was founded at some sessions on a simple tile.

Blood was collected in glass bottles, with connective rubber tubing, using needles that were resharpened and sterilised after each donation, ready to be re-used.

Plastic blood packs, first introduced in the 1970s, revolutionised the way blood was collected and used. The packs made it easy to separate blood into its

You can find session details on BBC2 Ceefax page 465

backed by public figures, none more recognisable and influential than Winston Churchill. Other famous faces, such as Harry Secombe, demonstrated how easy it was to be a blood donor by giving blood themselves. Celebrities are still important for blood donor recruitment – Richard Branson and Gary Lineker are just two famous names to have supported the NBS recently.

Modern developments The voluntary donation of blood is something that has never changed and is as important now as it was back in those early days.

The health questionnaire that all A 1944 newspaper advertisement for the first donor sessions in Bristol, endorsed by none other than Winston Churchill

Become a bone marrow donor call 0845 7 711 711

in donors, and ensuring that patients receive safe transfusions.

Despite only giving our blood donors a cup of tea and a biscuit for their efforts, we have always strived to offer our sincerest gratitude for their generosity. In the 1960s a public ‘thank you’ was issued to acknowledge the one million people registered as blood donors.

We continue to value our donors.

Without our donors, volunteers and supporters, both old and new, many patients lives would have been lost. Thank you.

Have you got a memory about being a donor that you’d like to share? You can write to Penny Richardson, Editor, The Donor, National Blood Service, West Derby Street, Liverpool, L7 8TW or email thedonor@nbs.nhs.uk

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RECIPIENTS

NBS LABORATORIES Monthly blood transfusions keep thalassaemia sufferer Balbinder alive

Getting the right red stuff B

albinder Kaur, 24, knows only too well how the haematology department at her local hospital has helped to improve the quality of her life.

At the age of three she was diagnosed with thalassaemia, an inherited blood disorder prevalent in Middle Eastern, African, Asian and some Mediterranean communities.

Without regular treatment she becomes severly anaemic because she can’t produce enough red cells.

Regular transfusions But there is good news. Once diagnosed, thalassaemia can be effectively managed and patients like Balbinder can lead almost normal lives.

As a child Balbinder was a regular visitor to the haematology department at Birmingham Children’s Hospital. Now she goes to the adult centre in the haematology department at Birmingham City Hospital.

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How do patients with serious blood disorders stay well? Often it’s through regular transfusions at haematology wards, where experts ensure they get the right type of blood She receives a blood transfusion every four to five weeks, receiving two or three units of blood each time.

Blood transfusions transform Balbinder’s quality of life. “About a week or so before my next transfusion I start to feel very tired and very weak. Once I’ve received my transfusion I’m full of energy and I’m able to get on and do things again,” says Balbinder.

She adds, “I would like to thank every single donor because I wouldn’t be here without their dedication. I really appreciate the time they take out of their day to donate blood because, quite simply, they have given me a new life.”

Haematology wards specialise in treating people with blood diseases and disorders such as leukaemia,

chronic anaemia, haemophilia, sickle cell anaemia and thalassaemia. Donated blood is crucial for treating all these conditions.

But, the more blood a patient receives, the greater the chance their immune system recognises the transfused blood as ‘foreign’ and reacts to it. To avoid this, donated blood is matched closely for patients needing multiple transfusions.

Many patients treated in a haematology department are typed not just for the major groups O, A, B and AB that we all belong to but also for other blood group systems that could be present.

For example Kidd, Duffy and Kell are just three of more than 25 other blood group systems

that are known today.

Finding the best match For patients with rare or unusual blood types, blood may be selected from anywhere in the country. Our records system, known as PULSE, makes it possible to find the best match for a patient. Sometimes a donor is asked to donate specifically for a particular patient.

Because of this, it’s vital that our donor base reflects society at large, and that means having donors from different ethnic groups.

Certain communities have a greater prevalence of certain blood groups, for example Balbinder belongs to the Asian community and is blood group B. In fact, 25 percent of Asians are blood group B whereas only 9 percent of West Europeans share this type.

For many patients, receiving a regular blood transfusion is quite literally a lifeline, enabling them to enjoy life in a way most of us take completely for granted.

Become a blood donor today call 0845 7 711 711

P

erhaps you’re one of those blood donors who have already helped us increase the number of potential bone marrow donors on the British Bone Marrow Register (BBMR).

Thanks to you it is now the eigth largest register in the world. And at blood donor sessions all round the country, even more of you are filling in forms and giving an extra sample of blood for testing, which means it is also the fastest growing register in the world. Thank you.

But what, you may wonder, happens to these samples?

They are sent to one of our tissue typing laboratories. Scientists there help to ensure that patient and donor tissue types are well-matched.

Dr Paul Dunn is responsible for co-ordinating a lot of the laboratory work that goes on. He says, “Tissue typing takes place at Colindale, Bristol and Newcastle, depending upon where in the country the blood was collected. Research and development is also an important part of our work. Finding new and better ways for accurately typing patients and donors is key.”

at this allele level.

So, with an estimated 100 million plus combinations of these alleles it is not hard to see why finding a bone marrow match is such an enormous task.

It also explains why currently, without a match from within your family, there’s only a one in 50,000 chance of finding a match for your bone marrow transplant. For some patients from minority ethnic backgrounds the chance is even less likely.

Identifying genes Tissue typing involves identifying the genes within the DNA extracted from the donor’s blood sample. When particular genes are present they show up as

Dr Adam Stretton (above) and Dr Paul Dunn (below) at work in the NBS tissue typing laboratories

In the laboratory At present between 250 and 400 samples are sent to each laboratory every week. Currently, eight samples can be processed at one time. A planned robotic system will process many more, helping the laboratories cope during the busiest weeks when up to 1,000 samples can be received.

Donors and patients are matched by identifying their tissue type from the white cells in their blood. Which is where your blood sample comes in. At the laboratory, the blood sample is treated to extract the genetic material (DNA) from the white blood cells (leucocytes).

There are six or seven genes that are important for tissue typing.

These have an influence on whether a transplant will succeed or fail.

Each gene has many types (or alleles) – one gene has almost 600 alleles. A successful transplant is reliant on finding a very good match

coloured lines on specially treated strips of paper. A scanner copies this pattern of coloured lines and computer software interprets the tissue type from the pattern.

After careful checks the donor details and their tissue type are then sent to the BBMR. These results are available to any transplant centre world-wide looking for a donor to match a patient in need of a bone marrow transplant.

More chances of a match

Matching blood is one thing, but matching bone marrow donors to patients is a complicated process that keeps scientists in our NBS laboratories on their toes

“We test for more genes than many other laboratories. This has enabled us to supply more potential donors and more chances of a life-saving bone marrow match,” explains Dr Dunn. Internationally we find matches for American or German patients, but we have been successful in finding matches for patients in countries such as Poland, Israel and New Zealand.

Last year more than 40,000 new donors came forward, but even better was the fact that 40 percent of these added new gene types to the register, making many more tissue matches possible.

We still need more bone marrow donors from all ethnic backgrounds. Why not ask for more details at your next session, or visit our website www.blood.co.uk for more facts.

The appliance of science Don’t forget the Helpline number 0845 7 711 711

THE DONOR WINTER 2003

11

MY LIFE: Graham Brown

OVER TO YOU

ASSISTANT DIRECT MARKETING MANAGER

This is your chance to tell us your news, views and interesting or unusual donor stories. Write to Penny Richardson, Editor, The Donor, National Blood Service, West Derby Street, Liverpool L7 8TW or email thedonor@nbs.nhs.uk Finger on the pulse!

I first gave blood as a young woman in the late sixties. However, when at two consecutive sessions it was impractical for a donation to be taken and I was sent away with a packet of iron tablets, I stopped attending.

In 2000 I underwent major abdominal surgery and needed two units of blood. My conscience pricked, I was eager to try again to be a blood donor. More surgery meant I wasn’t able to register until October 2001.

So it was that at the age of 52, I attended my first session in 30 years. I have now successfully given 6 units and look forward to many more donations.

Congratulations on the magazine, I think it really stimulates interest in the scheme.

STA LET R TER

IRENE E HIRST ACKWORTH NR PONTEFRACT

Star Winner Irene Hirst

Value for money I thought the NHS was trying desperately to offer the public ’value for money’. Then why on earth do you send magazines to people who are already donors.

Secondly a few days before I was due to give blood I received a telephone call asking would I be able to attend. So clearly a waste of NHS money?

M WILLIAMS STOCKTON BROOK

Editor’s response: The cost of producing and mailing The Donor is about 23p each copy.

The magazine has a number of aims. As well as keeping regular donors informed of changes, it is intended as a medium to recruit and encourage new donors. It also helps to encourage donors who haven’t given for some time to come back. If you do not wish to receive a copy we can amend our records to show this.

Many of our donors appreciate being contacted a few days Due to shortage of space not all published letters are printed in full. Whilst we welcome your letters, we cannot guarantee a reply or to publish them.

However, any complaints raised will be responded to via our complaints proce-

12 THE DONOR

WINTER 2003

Editor’s response: Thank you for your letter. For many women, fluctuating iron levels can mean that they are not always able to donate. However, I’m pleased that you are now a regular donor again. Many people who have donated previously never do come back to us, although donors can re-enrol or indeed come along for the first time up until the age of 60. I’m glad you enjoy our magazine, maybe you could pass it to a friend. Who knows it might encourage someone else to come with you next time you give blood. before they are due to give blood. However we appreciate that some regular donors do not need this reminder. Again we can arrange for these calls to cease if you prefer.

Weighing up the odds My wife weighs 10 stone and I weigh 15 stone and we are both blood donors.

If my wife gives the average

donation of 470mls each time she attends, shouldn’t I – being half as heavy again – be giving 705mls.

ROY STRINGER CHESTERFIELD

Editor’s response: You are right there is a relationship between blood volume and body size. As a general rule, bigger people could safely donate a larger volume of blood than smaller people. At present it is not practical for us to

collect different volumes from donors and also the hospitals expect to receive a standard product from us. The current target volume 470ml allows anyone who weighs 50kg (7st12 lbs) to donate safely. However, we are considering new procedures which would allow some heavier donors to donate either larger volumes or more frequently in the future.

A special birthday On July 14th this year my husband, Steve, celebrated his 50th Birthday, and was also due to attend a donor session. He had a feeling that it could be either his 49th or 50th session, but couldn’t be sure.

Imagine his delight as it was his 50th and he was presented with his gold badge, pen and letter which he found extremely moving. I wonder how many times this double 50th has happened on the same day?

JILL WILLIS WALTON ON THAMES A Star Letter will be chosen from all your letters for the next issue of The Donor. The writer of the letter will be invited to visit a Blood Centre and given a behind the scenes tour. You’ll don a white coat, visit our laboratories and see first hand just what happens to a donation of blood.

You’ll get to meet the people who are responsible for making sure that vital blood and blood products get from the donor to the patient who needs them.

STA LET R TER

IS IT TRUE THAT...

We answer some of your questions about donating we could accept you as a donor. If I’ve heard that blood is however you have damage to your used for research. Isn’t it heart valves and you have been all needed by patients? told you must take antibiotics When you come to donate before you have any dental work blood the leaflet you are then we would not accept you as asked to read, tells you that donation could put you at risk. occasionally blood that is not needed for transfusion may be I am a vegetarian, can I used for research and development give blood? work. All such use is carefully There is no problem with controlled, ethical approval is vegetarians giving blood.The obtained where appropriate and red blood cells, which require iron no donor is identified. from the stores in your body, will need to be replaced after the I had rheumatic fever donation. Provided you eat a wellwhen I was eight. Why balanced diet you should be able cannot I be a blood donor? to replenish your iron supply within If you’ve only had one attack a month. However, this may take and have fully recovered then

Q

longer because you are a vegetarian.

A

Q

Q A

Q A

I read in the paper about an Australian donor who had given 804 pints of blood in 48 years. That’s nearly 17 times a year. How’s this possible?

This man is not a whole blood donor. He donates plasma only, by apheresis machine. In Australia these plasma donors are able to donate every two weeks.

It is safe to donate plasma so frequently because the process separates the red cells from the plasma and return the red cells to the donor, so there is no risk of the donor becoming anaemic.

A

Find where to give blood visit www.blood.co.uk

Bringing the NBS directly to you

J “

ust don’t call it junk mail!” says Graham. Understandably he can be a bit defensive when people say direct mail is something to toss in the bin.

Having worked as part of the small Direct Marketing team, based in Tooting, for two and half years, helping manage postal and telephone communications with donors, he knows what the NBS does is the opposite of what many commercial companies do.

“We’re not trying to sell something like insurance or credit cards. What we try to do is to provide donors with the information they want or need,” he says. “It could be an invitation to give blood, a donor card or a leaflet with details of local sessions. If there’s a change in our guidelines, donors need to know, it could save them a wasted journey.” Nearly 75 percent of donors surveyed recently said that they prefer to receive a letter or card reminding them to donate.

Blood stocks First thing, Graham looks at the blood stock figures. B negative is looking rather low and he sets the ball rolling for extra telephone reminders to the B negative donors due to give in the next few days.

“Sometimes donors complain that we are writing or calling them too much. But we only contact them for a good reason, like when a certain blood group is low,” says Graham.

Graham then goes into a meeting to discuss the requirements for the impending August Bank Holiday with Loop, the Bradford based company that handles our outgoing calls to donors. Plans are made to increase the amount of calls to donors, and Graham ensures there will be enough trained staff available to manage the extra work.

“Holiday periods are always a challenging time,” he says. “With people going away, our collection levels fall. However, we can’t let blood stocks drop. To meet hospital demand it’s important that we encourage as many donors as we

Our direct marketing department keeps the NBS in touch with you, the donor. Graham Brown, assistant direct marketing manager, takes us behind the scenes on a typical day can to come and donate over this period. “

Cost conscious The discussion ends and its lunch.

Afterwards, Graham and his colleagues have a short meeting to discuss the emerging Christmas plans.

He says, “This year, we’re

“We try to communicate with donors only when there’s an important reason”

planning to send donors a calendar with The Donor magazine. This is just a small token of our appreciation, but we also hope donors will use it to plan their sessions for next year”. Including it with The Donor means there will be no extra postage cost in sending out the calendar.

By now it’s mid-afternoon and Graham sits in on a telephone conference with Royal Mail.

Afterwards, he explains, “Everything has to be mailed as cost effectively as possible. We’re currently renegotiating the postage rates for much of the mail we send out. Partly sorting our mail before it goes to the Post Office helps to keep costs down.“

Become a platelet donor call 0845 7 711 711

Graham with just some of the advertising and marketing material produced to encourgae people to give blood

That job done, Graham deals with some e-mails from Stralfors, the company that handles the vast majority of mail that donors receive.

Every six weeks, they produce nearly 80 different versions of the leaflet that gives details of local donor sessions.

He checks one of the latest leaflets and makes a few last minute changes before it goes to print the next morning. “This takes a lot of our time up but it is worth it” says Graham, “research suggest that nearly 80 percent of donors regularly use it.”

By now it’s six o‘clock and Graham packs up to go home. His final comment is, “If you’ve ever donated blood, you will have received something from this department.”

THE DONOR WINTER 2003

13

TISSUE DONATION

PRIZE CROSSWORD

Heartfelt thanks from Katy

Complete the crossword, then re-arrange the letters in the highlighted squares to make a word relating to the NBS. Send this word on a post card together with your name, address and daytime phone number to

As young heart patient Katy Homewood knows, donated tissues save lives. But approaching bereaved families takes special skills. We look at how the work of Family Liaison Officers with Essex Police have helped to save and improve more than 250 lives in the past three years

1 8 9 10 11 13 15 18 19 22 23 24

E

veryone knows that donated organs and blood save lives. But donated tissues such as skin, bone, corneas and heart valves can also be life-savers, or even prevent a lifetime’s pain or disability.

Getting across that message is an important part of the work of the NBS’ small but vital team of expert tissue donor co-ordinators.

They work around the country as part of the Tissue Services department, liaising with emergency services, bereaved families and hospitals to help co-ordinate the donation of tissues for transplant.

More tissue donors are always needed, and to promote awareness of this sensitive matter Jan Purkis, deputy tissue collection manager for the NBS, has been working for the past three years with the Essex Police Training Department, which runs courses for the Family Liaison Officers (FLO’s) who go and speak to families following road deaths.

Sensitive time Jan gives FLO’s the knowledge and confidence to broach the subject of tissue donation with a bereaved family. Many officers have to approach families within hours of a death, when emotions are at their most raw. Once consent has been

A difficult subject

Katy with her mother and father presenting Essex Police with a ‘Thank you’ plaque

granted, trained NBS staff arrange to interview the family to gather information about the donor.

Jan says, “We rely heavily on help from other professionals, who come into contact with bereaved people, and we can’t do our job without them. That’s why we are so pleased that Essex Police, particularly the road policing division, have taken it on board.

They talk to families about tissue donation despite the very difficult circumstances both they and the family are in at the time. They are doing a really marvellous job.”

The officers were thanked and their work recognised in July 2003 at Essex Police Headquarters in Chelmsford (pictured below). Plaques were presented to Steve Brewer, Inspector of Road Policing and Mick Beale, Road Policing Instructor.

Amongst those who spoke at the ceremony was Eileen Russell,

At a recent ‘Thank you’ ceremony are (left to right), Jane Pearson, PC Mike Ashman, Inspector Steve Brewer, Katy, Lois Buckle, Everette Buckle, Sgt Mick Beale , Sgt Bob Beckwith, PC Tracey Bishop and Eileen Russell

14 THE DONOR

WINTER 2003

whose husband Richard died in a road accident. Following the donation of his tissues, three lives were saved including a young child.

Eileen was approached about donation by her FLO, PC Mike Ashman in the early hours following Richard’s death.

Katy Homewood, a heart valve recipient, said a special thank you on behalf of all patients who had benefited from donated tissues.

Katy is a normal healthy four-yearold, full of energy and enthusiasm, despite being born with a serious heart defect.

Katy has had five heart operations in her short lifetime including a life-saving one to replace one of her heart valves. The valve Katy received was donated after the death of a loved one whose family were willing to help other people at a very difficult time.

Tissue donation is not something most families find easy to talk about. Yet making your wishes known to your family makes it easier for them to carry them out if the worst were to happen.

Jan explains, “We would encourage people to consider becoming a donor and most importantly talk to their families since they are the ones who will have to make the decision.”

She continues, “Carrying the donor card isn’t always enough, the message is to tell your family.

It’s crucial that people do discuss it in life.”

Many people can be considered for tissue donation after death.

Unlike organs, tissues can be donated up to 24 hours after a person’s heart has stopped beating. The tissues donated by one donor may enable up to 40 people to benefit from tissue transplant surgery.

If you want to become a tissue donor, you need to make your wishes known to your family and friends, carry a donor card and register on the NHS Organ Donor Register, which can be found at www.uktransplant.org.uk

Become a bone marrow donor call 0845 7 711 711

Crossword Competition, The Donor Magazine, NBS, West Derby Street, Liverpool L7 8TW. You could win a new ‘Amazing’ NBS sports umbrella.

Answers and winners will be in the Spring issue of The Donor.

ACROSS What are A, B, AB and O? (5,6) A fencer's interjection (2,5) A big feast or a comic? (5) Slang term for unit of blood (4) A youth not necessarily delinquent! (8) To remember (6) Skiing in a zigzag (6) Another name for a thrombocyte (8) A room in a hospital (4) A covering for a cake (5) A business offering flights (7) The comic actor who donated an armful (4,7)

DOWN 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 12 14 16 17 18 20 21

A device carried by some hospital staff maybe (7) The heart is one in the human body (5) A Scottish dagger (4) Blood containing the ___ factor is ___ positive (6) A useful item in the rain (8) A cocker ____ is a breed of dog (7) Blood cells are produced in ____ marrow (4) A substance which might, say, cause a reaction to penicillin (8) A horse-drawn wheeled vehicle (7) Sometime round about Wednesday (7) An angel, an anagram of phrase (6) Straight-laced! (4) A Spanish word used to address a friend (5) An element needed by people who are anaemic (4)

NBS INFORMATION If you have a general enquiry or need any information about giving blood, just call the 24 hour Donor Helpline on 0845 7 711 711 and staff will answer your queries on: • Where you can give blood locally • Whether you are able to give blood • Your donor session details • Becoming a bone marrow donor • How to become a platelet donor • Medical aspects of giving blood • How travelling abroad might affect your giving blood • Any other general donor matters Remember, you can call the Helpline to tell us if you have moved house or changed employers – we don't want to lose you!

DON’T FORGET BBC2 Ceefax page 465 will give you details of the next two days’ blood donor sessions in your TV region.

Permanent Blood Donor Sites If, for any reason, your local donor session is no longer suitable, then it may be more convenient for you to attend one of our permanent Blood Donor Sites. Please call the Donor Helpline to find out the details of the centres listed here: NORTH Bradford, Leeds, Sheffield. NORTH EAST Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

NORTH WEST Lancaster, Liverpool, Manchester. MIDLANDS Birmingham, Leicester, Nottingham, Oxford, Stoke-on-Trent. LONDON Edgware, Tooting, West End. SOUTH EAST Luton, Cambridge, Brentwood. SOUTH WEST Bristol, Gloucester, Plymouth, Southampton.

The Donor Helpline 0845 7 711 711

We always need new donors. So please, if you are not a donor, fill out the coupon below, place it in an envelope and send it to National Blood Service, FREEPOST, 75 Cranmer Terrace, London SW17 7YB, or call 0845 7 711 711 now to enrol as a donor.

SURNAME Mr/Mrs/Ms/Miss FIRST NAME DATE OF BIRTH

/

/

ADDRESS

POSTCODE DAYTIME PHONE No

To give blood you need to be in good health, aged 17 to 60 and weigh over 7st 12lbs/50kg.

Please send this coupon to the address above.

MO6

I would like to join the NHS Blood Donor Register as someone who may be contacted and would be prepared to donate blood. I understand that the National Blood Service (NBS) or its partners may phone, write or otherwise contact me with details of local donor sessions. I agree to the NBS holding my personal details on their donor database and processing this information as necessary for the proper administration of the NBS

THE DONOR WINTER 2003

15

NEWS EXTRA

We raise a glass to our bone marrow donors The decision to join the British Bone Marrow Register (BBMR) isn’t always an easy one. Bone marrow donors Kenny Atkins and Debbie Lawson know they made the right choice by signing up Another donor, Debbie Lawson, a Newcastle midwife, was called ten years after she’d registered. Her situation had changed during that time, she says.

“I had gone from being single and commitment-free to being married with children. But being a wife and mother made me conscious that if it was a member of

PHOTOGRAPHY OLLIE BALL

K

enny Atkins, a firefighter from Bradford, had been a blood donor for six years when he joined the BBMR. Eighteen months later he was telephoned to say he was a possible match for a patient.

Further tests confirmed the match.

Kenny’s bone marrow was donated under general anaesthetic at the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle, a process that took about 50 minutes.

“I was in slight discomfort afterwards,” says Kenny, “but I was

Kenny Atkins, (above), has been called on twice to donate bone marrow. Debbie, left, with her daughter was asked to donate ten years after registering

procedure, and knows how vital these donations are. He thanked the donors on behalf of the patients they had helped.

“Knowing that I gave that patient another chance of life is something I will never forget”

Join the Register

walking around again a few hours later. After just ten days I was back on duty.”

The double

Only 30 percent of patients find a donor from within their own family, and with thousands of different tissue types it’s not easy to find the right match. People from all communities are needed, as some tissue types are only found within a particular ethnic group.

Volunteer donors, like Kenny and Debbie, are needed by the 70 percent of patients who don’t have a family match. Each year the UK bone marrow registers receive an estimated 3,000 requests for bone marrow matches from hospitals across the UK and around the world. Joining the BBMR gives patients suffering from conditions such as leukaemia and aplastic anaemia a fighting chance.

You can find out about joining the BBMR at your next blood donor session. You need to ask before you donate as we need to take a separate blood sample. For more information call 0845 7 711 711 or visit www.blood.co.uk

Three months later Kenny was asked to donate again for the same person. He agreed immediately.

“I had already gone so far in helping this person so I was happy to do it again,” he says. Having now ‘done the double’ Kenny feels very positive about his experiences.

“Firefighting is a very satisfying career but knowing that I gave that patient another chance in life is something I will never forget.” It’s clearly something the recipient will never forget either. Even though the donor and patient remain anonymous, Kenny received a card of thanks after the transplants.

my family, I would hope someone would be there for them.”

Debbie’s bone marrow was taken, and after an overnight stay she was back at home. She experienced some discomfort but shrugged it off. “It’s a small price to pay for a donation that will hopefully bring someone years of health.” Afterwards, like Kenny, Debbie received an anonymous thank you card from the recipient.

“This really put my life in perspective and made the whole

16 THE DONOR

Become a bone marrow donor call 0845 7 711 711

WINTER 2003

experience real. There’s no doubt I would do it again,” she says.

Recently it was our turn to say ’Thank you’ to our donors. A Bone Marrow Donor Awards Ceremony took place in October in Newcastle.

After the celebration dinner, 63 donors were presented with a commemorative crystal decanter.

The guest speaker was Dr Graham Jackson, Consultant Haematologist at the Royal Victoria Infirmary. He regularly carries out the bone marrow collection