How it took 1,500 blood donors to save one man

Published on Monday 1 December 2008 21:38

CUSTOMS worker Willie Mack knows he owes his life to the 1,500 blood donors who have helped him cope with an inherited rare blood disorder.

Today Mr Mack will show his gratitude as he helps launch an appeal to encourage everyone in Scotland to become a blood donor to avoid a predicted 50 per cent drop in donations over Christmas and New Year.

Last year, donations dropped by 25 per cent over the festive period. This year, with Christmas falling on a Thursday, the peak day for donations, the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service (SNBTS) fears donations could drop even further.

Mr Mack suffers from Blackfan Diamond Anaemia and now receives a three-pint top-up every three weeks. He got his first blood transfusion when he was only a few hours old.

He said: "My message is: 'Please give blood immediately to prevent a donor deficit this Christmas.' I received my 1,500th pint last week, after my 500th visit to hospital.

"I'll definitely need another one before Christmas Day.

"These transfusions give me energy and help me feel normal again. Without blood donors, I simply would not have survived childhood, so I'd like to thank the 1,500 donors who have given me the best Christmas present ever – the gift of life."

Mr Mack, of Craiglockhart, Edinburgh, has a rare form of anaemia meaning his body can't produce red blood cells which carry oxygen. He said: "My condition means that by the third week I start to feel tired and run down, and find it harder to concentrate and lose my appetite.

"My employers are really good about things and I get a day off work to go for the treatment, which takes five or six hours a time.

"When I'm at the hospital I spend my time listening to music like Iron Maiden, Alice Cooper and Led Zeppelin, or read books. A few days after the treatment, I start to feel normal again and get on with my life."

Mr Mack added that despite his medical condition leading to tiredness and brittle bones he occasionally continues his childhood hobbies of skiing at Hillend Ski slope and skating at Murrayfield Ice Rink.

"I know my own limits and don't do too much, but I try to lead as normal a life as possible," he said.

Dr Moira Carter, the national donor services manager, said: "We anticipate blood supplies could fall dramatically. We may lose up to 6,000 donations over the Christmas and New Year period, which is half of Scotland's blood supply. Platelets, which have a shelf life of only five days, face a similar shortage.

"It is essential donors come forward for Scotland's patients this Christmas."

Only 9 per cent of people living in Scotland have O negative blood, yet it accounts for 13 per cent of blood issued to hospitals to support A&E wards across Scotland. Similarly, platelets can only be used up to five days after donation.

To help meet demand, SNBTS has written to 5,000 donors asking them to fulfil a "Christmas pledge" and commit to giving blood during December.

BACKGROUND

BLOOD transfusions are carried out year-round, treating a wide range of patients.

&#149 About 230-260 patients are diagnosed annually with aplastic anaemias in Scotland, including Blackfan Diamond Anaemia.

&#149 A further 25-35 patients are diagnosed each year with Thalassaemia – an inherited blood disorder.

&#149 NHS services perform elective surgery and operations daily, all requiring blood on standby.

&#149 Every December there is an average of 400 serious road accidents.

&#149 Scotland's donor base of active blood donors has declined since 2003 to 179,000 donors.

&#149 During 2009 the blood transfusion service wants this increased to 194,000. Currently, the service is 8 per cent below this target.