“Every year on 14 June, the world marks World Blood Donor Day, a special occasion to recognise the life saving gift that blood provides every day. This year, I want to share my personal story and why giving blood means so much to me and hopefully I can inspire others to roll up their sleeves (literally!) and donate.
“I recently gave blood, it was a simple act that took less than 40 minutes, but it reminded me of something important. Donating blood isn’t just about giving something, it’s about saving lives. It hits close to home for me because of my dad.
“A year before my dad sadly passed away, he was rushed into hospital with a perforated ulcer. During that emergency, he needed several blood transfusions to survive. Without those transfusions, he probably wouldn’t have made it through. Those transfusions gave us extra precious time with him and that’s something I’ll forever be grateful for.
“That personal experience made me realise how precious and vital donated blood is, and how crucial it is that we all do our bit to keep supplies topped up.
Why blood matters?
“Blood is needed for all kinds of medical emergencies, from accidents and surgeries too cancer treatments and chronic illnesses. Every two seconds, someone somewhere in the world needs blood and the demand never stops.
“At the moment, blood banks are particularly in need of certain rare blood types, including Rh-negative blood groups and blood from ethnic minorities, which can be harder to find but is just as critical.
“That said, any blood donation is welcome and valuable. Each donation can help save up to three lives.
How can you help?
“Giving blood is easy and fairly painless, you’ll just feel a scratch. You can book an appointment online or download the NHS Give Blood app. There is always a friendly team ready to make the experience as comfortable as possible. So, if you’re healthy, aged between 17 and 65, please consider giving blood. You never know whose life you might save!”