Tv Presenter Penny Smith Tv Presenter Penny Smith
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NEWS AND INFORMATION FOR BLOOD DONORS SUMMER 2012 “Every day is touch and go” DonatedDonated skinskin bringsbrings newnew hopehope toto legleg ulcerulcer patientspatients TVTV PRESENTERPRESENTER PENNYPENNY SMITHSMITH “It’s“It’s easyeasy toto givegive blood”blood” Donor Helpline – 0300 123 23 23 Help donors worldwide with In this issue COVER STORIES 4 “Make sure people know how easy it is to give blood” a different donation TV presenter and writer Penny Smith explains why she is urging donors to come As a blood donor, you are part of a 50 million forward during the busy summer months strong worldwide community. But in many low- 8 Aspects of blood income countries, the culture of altruistic giving We reveal some fascinating facts about the world of blood donation needs to be developed and basic facilities 9 More than just the big 5-0! provided. We need your financial donations to Lancaster farmer Tom Whitaker reached 50 donations on his 50th birthday. What’s more, he has never donated twice in the same place help make safe blood available to the poorest PAGE 4 10 Trending and tweets people in the world. How social media is helping us to reach new supporters Dear Blood Donor has been helping some of the most disad- 12 Donors do it again! You may not have heard of the Global Blood vantaged communities to recruit and retain This June saw our second National Blood Week, where we celebrated the gift of Fund, but I hope your commitment to blood volunteer blood donors. But so much more blood and recognised donors as ‘everyday heroes’ donation will mean that you intuitively under- needs to be done. To read about our pro- stand our mission. grammes, visit www.globalbloodfund.org. 14 “Every day is touch and go” In the poorest countries of the world, short- I do hope you will feel able to support our Life for eight-year-old Harry Udueni is far from simple. He has sickle cell anaemia age of blood kills large numbers of people work. and needs regular transfusions. For his family, every day could bring a crisis and what blood there is isn’t safe. Helping Thank you. PAGE 14 16 Donated skin brings new hope to leg ulcer patients these countries to establish a large pool of A new treatment for leg ulcers, made from donated skin at our laboratories, is volunteer blood donors, making them less John Armitage, MD showing huge promise reliant on paid and replacement donation, President, Global Blood Fund 19 Pass it on for National Transplant Week is one of the most effective ways to improve If you have signed the Organ Donor Register, make sure you pass your wishes on to the blood supply and prevent the spread of your family. That’s the important message of National Transplant Week HIV/AIDS. Run by blood professionals in the UK and 23 A great team! USA, since 2008 the Global Blood Fund Blind blood donor Barrie Hopcroft gives blood regularly, with the help of his guide PAGE 16 dog Marley I want to help make safe blood available to the poorest First Name 24 Unlocking blood secrets people in the world. Last Name Write and tell us Our research and development programme is building a brighter future £15 towards shipping surplus equipment from Europe/USA Address your news, views for donation £10 towards weight scales and portable donor beds and interesting £5 towards donor education materials or unusual 26 How Huw beat the odds £_______ We’ll gratefully accept any amount. donor stories. Premature baby Huw needed months of specialist care and many blood My cheque payable to Global Blood Fund is enclosed. transfusions. Today he’s a lively six-year-old and mum Joanne has become a blood Write to Charge my gift to Visa Mastercard Maestro donor herself The Editor, The Donor, NHSBT, 28 “It’s important we have the blood we Card No Postcode Exp Date Issue No. Colindale Avenue, need, it saves lives” Email London NW9 5BG Dr Rekha Anand, a consultant in transfusion medicine, talks Signature We may write to you about our work and how you can help. If or email about her unique role working with rare blood types you would prefer we didn’t, please tick this box. thedonor@ Plus our regular News, Letters, Q&A, PLEASE HELP US BOOST YOUR DONATION BY that tax year. I understand GBF will reclaim 25p of tax on every nhsbt.nhs.uk 25% - AT NO COST TO YOU. Please treat this £1 that I give. 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The Global Blood Fund is a charitable organisation registered in the UK (8076380) and USA (39-2071848) SUMMER 2012 THE DONOR 3 COVER STORY “Make“Make suresure peoplepeople knowknow howhow easyeasy itit isis toto givegive blood”blood” quite stupidly overcome with the TV presenter and writer Penny Smith explains why she is urging donors to “It felt like you come forward during the busy summer months sheer technological stuff which has allowed us to do that. When and where did you start In terms of stars I’ve interviewed, were doing your donating blood? probably my favourite was talking charity thing I started donating blood when I was to Pierce Brosnan and Meryl Streep 19 and working as a cub reporter about Mamma Mia. Although I without putting in on the Peterborough Evening enjoyed hanging out with Gary Telegraph. A mobile van came to Barlow in Milan, and Nicolas Cage too much effort” the office and I have a feeling we was a laugh. were encouraged to give blood. You’re now a published What made you want to carry author. How does that on giving blood? feel? Weirdly, I rather enjoyed donating Having my first novel blood. It felt like you were doing published was one of your charity thing without putting the biggest buzzes ever. Penny checks in for a recent in too much effort. You had a I seem to remember session at the West End Donor bit of a lie down and a biscuit, smiling for days before Centre, London (left), then relaxes while someone else did all the and after the launch. afterwards with a welcome cuppa work. Afterwards, I was always The fact that it was a and biscuit (above) surprisingly bouncy. It seemed to top ten bestseller was for publishing it. Mind you, it was Becoming a blood donor is the give me more energy. Perhaps it thrilling. I had always wanted to hard work, because I was also easiest thing in the world - and was all in my mind, but I imagined write a book, and had started lots getting up at 4am five days a week even if you don’t do it for altruistic my body bursting with new, freshly of them, but Coming Up Next was for GMTV. reasons, you can do it as a sort of made blood cells. the first I actually finished. I will be What would you say to insurance policy. If you are ever You gave blood during our forever grateful to Harper Collins encourage others to become unfortunate enough to need a Christmas campaign last year. blood donors? blood transfusion, you are going How did that come about? to have to rely on the kindness of I heard that this year is a ‘perfect Breaking news is always exciting as LIFE STORY strangers to get you through. It’s storm’ in terms of needing blood, a broadcaster. Listening to what’s l Born in 1958 in Eastwood, Nottinghamshire a little bit of give and take. You give with the Olympics, Paralympics and going on in your earpiece and l Attended Rutland High School for Girls blood ... and take away a biscuit the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. So I then telling the viewers about it... it l 1977 – began career on the and a nice, warm, gooey feeling Peterborough Evening Telegraph wanted to make sure that other doesn’t get much better. from having done a good turn. people knew how easy it is to give, I was working for Sky News l Worked in regional TV and radio before How do you relax at the end of and how it puts a spring in your step when Tony Blair ushered in the first becoming a presenter on a busy day? Sky News when you’ve finished. Labour government for almost two l 1993 – joined breakfast show Relaxing is what I do best. Some GMTV As a successful reporter and decades; that was exciting. Then at newsreader then became its presenter as a of my favourite things are dozing COURTESY OF ITV presenter, what has been your GMTV I remember talking live to l 2006 – came fourth in the BBC show while listening to radio plays, Just the Two of Us career highlight to date? Richard Branson during his attempt with Curtis Stigers singing candlelit baths listening to l That’s a difficult question.