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News and information for blood donors WINTER 2016 ParalympicParalympic successsuccess thanksthanks toto youryour donationsdonations #REPRESENT#REPRESENT launcheslaunches withwith LADYLADY LESHURRLESHURR “The“The timetime isis nownow toto givegive bloodblood andand savesave aa life”life” It’s our 70th anniversary! WELCOME A message from Ian Trenholm, chief executive Hello,Hello, andand welcomewelcome toto thethe WinterWinter 20162016 editionedition s we look back over the year, we new technology, such as our app, to make Acelebrate the fact that our blood it as easier to view all donation venues ARE stocks have remained healthy and in your area, book an appointment, and consistent – providing patients with review your donation history. lifesaving transfusions when they have As we head into the cold winter months, needed them. On their behalf, I would we do tend to see blood stocks dip as YOU like to offer my sincere thanks for your continued support. “Thank you again for Every year presents new challenges. The demand for blood has been dropping your dedication to blood by about 4 per cent a year – both here GOLD and across the world – and we expect and platelet donation. the trend to continue. This sounds like I wish you health and good news, and in many ways it is. The fall is thanks to improvements in clinical happiness for 2017” BLOODED? practice and by our working more efficiently with hospitals to ensure that people stay indoors and are distracted blood is used appropriately for patients. by the festivities over Christmas and Only a precious few people donate platelets While slightly fewer donations are the New Year. We know that time is required overall, we need more donations particularly precious at this time of – golden cells that help the blood to clot. from certain groups. There remains a year, but, if you can, please do book an particular need for universal blood and appointment to donate. 60% of their donations are used to treat people platelet types - O negative and A negative Thank you again for your dedication to with cancer. We need more donors with - and we still have a long standing blood and platelet donation. I wish you shortage of black and Asian donors, who health and happiness for 2017. l A negative and AB negative blood groups. are more likely to have rarer blood types. We have also needed to change Write and tell us your news, views and interesting or sessions, which has meant asking some unusual donor stories. donors to go to a different venue. I know The Editor, The Donor, NHS Blood and Transplant, Oak Find out now to see if you can help, please visit this can be disappointing and may be less House, Reeds Crescent, Watford, WD24 4QN or email [email protected] platelets.blood.uk or call 0300 123 23 23 convenient for you. We are investing in The cost of producing and publishing this magazine is less than half the price of a second class stamp. The Donor is published by NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT). Reproduction in whole or part is strictly forbidden without the prior permission of NHSBT. Larger print versions are available via the website. Design and production: www.antcreative.com Reproduction: Portland Media (London). Printed in the UK. WINTER 2016 THE DONOR 3 RESEARCH More A negative platelet Breakthrough in the manufa cture of platelets donors needed Many patients need platelets becoming sensitised. You may have heard that O negative blood can be given so a potential new way to Cedric Ghevaert, a consultant haematologist at NHS Blood and to any patient. Well A negative produce them on demand is Transplant said, “Making megakaryocytes platelets can also be given to an exciting development and platelets from stem cells for any patient requiring a platelet transfusion has been a long standing transfusion. We particularly need challenge because of the sheer numbers more A negative blood donors to esearchers at NHS Blood and we need to produce to make a single unit start donating platelets at one of RTransplant and the University of for transfusion. We have found a way our donor centres. Cambridge have developed a new to ‘rewire’ the stem cells to make them For more information visit: method to produce platelets in the become megakaryocytes a lot faster and www.platelets.blood.co.uk laboratory in large numbers for the more efficiently. It’s a major step forward or call 0300 123 23 23 first time. towards our goal to one day make blood Billions of platelets are circulating in cells in the laboratory to transfuse to production of laboratory platelets to the our blood and they are vital because they patients.” scale required for transfusion and we still stop bleeding, for instance when you cut The significance Above: Coloured BSIP DR AMAR/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY But please don’t stop donating platelets! need more platelet donors to donate as your finger. They may be given to patients This breakthrough is important for a scanning electron It will take many years to develop the regularly as possible. l having cancer chemotherapy, transplants, number of reasons. Firstly, donated micrograph megakaryocyte, major surgery and trauma. But how are human platelets only last seven days, the giant bone Platelets helped save my life! platelets made? which is why we ask our platelet donors marrow cells that When Andy Jackson was 18 he was diagnosed with to donate as regularly as possible. Also, produce platelets chronic myeloid leukaemia. He was told that a bone What are platelets? whenever a patient receives a platelet (thrombocytes) marrow transplant was his only option. Platelets are formed from giant ‘mother transfusion, there is always some risk, Andy takes up the story… cells’ known as megakaryocytes that although it is very low, of transferring an “About three months after I was diagnosed with are themselves formed from stem cells infection. Finally, patients who receive chronic myeloid leukaemia I was fortunate enough in the bone marrow. The platelets ‘bud’ “Joining the register is really easy, all to find a suitable donor. When I received my bone off the megakaryocytes – they are the marrow transplant it was just like having a blood round objects on the surface of the we need to do is take an extra sample transfusion; it was over in a couple of hours. Then it megakaryocyte in the picture – and was a case of having to wait and hope that the donor eventually join the blood circulation by when someone gives blood” stem cells would accept my body. passing through the small vessels in the “In the weeks and months following the transplant, ”I now work for Bloodwise, a charity that has been bone marrow. regular platelet transfusions may become I received platelet transfusions to help bolster my working to beat blood cancer since 1960. In April this Our researchers have found a novel way sensitised to them, making it difficult levels which had been depleted by my treatment. year we became the official charity partner for NHS to switch stem cells grown in a laboratory to find suitable donors in future. The “Platelets and blood transfusions are easy to take Blood and Transplant. We are really looking forward into these megakaryocytes with a very production of platelets in strictly controlled for granted, but they were vital for me in my recovery. to working with them to raise awareness of the need high efficiency so making it possible conditions in the laboratory could make I can’t thank my bone marrow donor, or the donors for blood and platelet donors and raising awareness to produce large numbers of platelets them more available, safer and precisely who donated platelets, enough for their generosity. about blood cancers.” l outside the body. matched to the patient, stopping them 4 THE DONOR WINTER 2016 WINTER 2016 THE DONOR 5 ORGAN DONATION PATIENT STORY hen Helen Vincent went into What are you waiting for? labour in January 2012, it Wchanged her life in more ways than she expected. With a desperate shortage of donated organs, register. It might be one of those things you The early stages of Helen’s labour it’s now more important than ever to sign up think you’ll do another time. If you, your child progressed normally, however her son as a potential donor or anyone close to you ever needs an organ, Zac became stuck. Doctors decided to you’ll know the desperation felt by families complete the delivery using forceps and round 6500 people are waiting for on the transplant list.” subsequently Helen lost one and a half a organ transplant across the UK litres of blood. She takes up the story. Aand some will die before they get “Having lost so much blood, my iron the transplant they desperately need due Beth’s story levels had dropped dramatically. The to a shortage of organ donors. When Beth Dykes doctors decided to give me two units of Most people support organ donation, but sadly died aged too many (37%) who want to be donors say 21 after a brain they haven’t got round to joining the NHS haemorrhage, her AA chancechance conversationconversation Organ Donor Register. family were in no This winter NHS Blood and Transplant Xxxxxx xxxxxxx doubt that she would have wanted to xxxxx Beth xxxxx How a blood transfusion led to a new role for donors very well. I have since gone on to will be asking people to think about the be an organ donor as they had discussed xxxx nurse Helen Vincent become the clinical donor centre manager incredible gift they could give by highlighting organ donation during a family dinner.

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