Many Brits across the country have been celebrating Mothers’ Day with the aid of FaceTime and Skype today as millions of people self-isolate amid the ongoing global coronavirus pandemic.
However, a group of women say they wouldn’t be here to celebrate at all were it not for vital blood transfusions that saved their lives.
Online card retailer Moonpig has joined up with the NHS Blood and Transplant service to help support the blood donation drive, with some of the cards designed by children whose mother’s lives have been saved by blood transfusions.
Moonpig has joined up with the NHS Blood and Transplant to help support the blood donation drive, with some of the cards designed by children whose mother’s lives have been saved by blood transfusions
The campaign asks fathers to help save women’s lives by signing up to donate blood.
Mother Kirsty Armstrong suffered a large bleed during the birth of her third child – her own life was subsequently saved by 20 units of blood.
In light of this, her 12-year-old daughter designed a card showing a blood bag entitled ‘We love you’.
Another mother whose life was saved by a blood transfusion was Laura Scott.
She experienced a severe bleed whilst giving birth to her son Henry at 30 weeks, she then had blood transfusions totalling 22 units.
Henry drew a heart alongside the words ‘Mummy, I give you my heart. Daddy gives blood. Because we love you!’.
Another mother whose life was saved by a blood transfusion was Laura Scott. She experienced a severe bleed whilst giving birth to her son Henry at 30 weeks, she then had blood transfusions totalling 22 units. Henry drew a heart alongside the words ‘Mummy, I give you my heart. Daddy gives blood. Because we love you!’.
Ten per cent of card sales will be donated to charity Mind to help women in post birth trauma counselling, as well as providing advice and support to combat pre and post-natal depression.
Tara Burke is also taking part in the initiative; she suffered from severe pre-eclampsia whilst giving birth – her son Ethan was born prematurely and so they both benefited from life-saving blood transfusions.
Ten per cent of card sales will be donated to charity Mind to help women in post birth trauma counselling, as well as providing advice and support to combat pre and post-natal depression.
Women whose lives were saved by blood donation urge father’s to sign to give blood for father’s day
Kirsty Armstrong, 40, London
Kirsty’s life was saved by 20 units of blood, when she suffered a massive bleed during the birth of her third child Micheal in August 2017. They are pictured together
Kirsty’s life was saved by 20 units of blood, when she suffered a massive bleed during the birth of her third child in August 2017.
After two and a half hours in shock, Kirsty was rushed into theatre on a code red, and spent four hours there before being taken to intensive care at the Princess Royal University Hospital in Beckenham.
She was brought round a day later – on the day of her own birthday. She received 16 units of blood during the operation and a further four units while recovering.
Her son Michael was kept in the NICU and received treatment for oxygen deprivation and an infection, but thankfully is now a healthy two year old.
Kirsty is blood type A+ and has previously donated blood herself.
She said: ‘I am incredibly grateful to all blood donors for their generosity, as without them I wouldn’t be here.
‘My experience has encouraged my family and friends to donate and I am passionate about spreading the word to others.
‘Being part of this initiative will hopefully go some way towards getting more people donating.’
Laura Scott, 48, West Sussex
Laura Scott, 48, from West Sussex received 22 units of blood when she had a severe bleed while giving birth to her son Henry at 30 weeks (pictured together)
Laura Scott, 48, from West Sussex received 22 units of blood when she had a severe bleed while giving birth to her son Henry at 30 weeks.
She woke up in ICU and had to wait 24 hours to meet her son for the first time.
The only contact she could have with him was through the hatch on his incubator. Henry was born not breathing and needed to be resuscitated.
He spent 12 weeks in hospital and Henry needed a blood transfusion himself, to replace the blood he’d lost during multiple blood tests.
Henry, now aged six, is thriving and Laura’s husband Dave is a blood donor. Laura had previously also been a blood donor.
She said: ‘I’m so lucky to be alive. Donating blood may not seem much, only being an hour of your time and enjoying a cuppa and a biscuit afterwards, but it honestly couldn’t be a bigger deal.
‘You save lives. Since my transfusion, my partner is now a regular blood donor and so I hope my story can encourage others to be one too.’
Tara Burke, 40, Hertfordshire
Tara Burke, 40, from Hertfordshire and her son Ethan both needed life-saving blood transfusions when she gave birth. Tara had a severe form of pre-eclampsia caused by an undiagnosed clotting disorder and needed two units of blood. They are pictured with her husband
Tara Burke, 40, from Hertfordshire and her son Ethan both needed life-saving blood transfusions when she gave birth. Tara had a severe form of pre-eclampsia caused by an undiagnosed clotting disorder and needed two units of blood.
Ethan was born prematurely and needed five units of O negative blood. Tara was admitted to give birth at Watford Hospital in 2014, when she was at 26 weeks gestation.
She developed HELLP syndrome, a rare variant of pre-eclampsia. Her kidneys stopped working, her liver was failing, and her blood was breaking down. The doctors therefore decided they needed to carry out the urgent c-section to save her life.
Ethan needed five transfusions spaced out over a number of weeks – this is because premature babies don’t have mature bone marrow which enables them to produce enough of their own blood cells.
