MICHAEL Wilson was only 22 years old when he became seriously ill and was rushed to casualty. Within hours he and his family had to deal with his terrifying diagnosis of leukaemia.
Due to the aggressive form of his disease Michael, from Kingsley, Northampton, was transferred to an oncology ward and chemotherapy commenced the following day.
Yet, he was so ill his family was warned that he might not live to see the weekend.
“We are proud to say that he fought so hard, he did indeed, live to see the weekend,” said his mum Louise, who despite Michael’s brave battle, lost her son six years ago.
Despite the tragedy she faced she is grateful to the extra time that blood and platelet donations gave her and her family, with her son.
“It was his will to live, the expertise of his medical team, the chemotherapy and drug therapy, and the blood and platelet donations that ultimately kept him alive, each one as important as the other.
“If one vital component had been missing that would have meant the end of his fight,” she said.
“In the first week alone Michael received 10 units of blood and 16 bags of platelets, and believe me he would not have survived that first week of treatment without them.
“In the months of chemotherapy that followed he received a further 29 units of blood and 48 units of platelets.”
Michael then received a stem cell transplant from a man, the family know no more about than he was middle-aged and German.
“He went on to receive a stem cell transplant and again, all the way through this process he needed further blood and platelet donations.
“In total, during his year of treatment Michael received a staggering 63 units of blood and 125 units of platelets.
“These figures are breathtaking on their own but when you factor in that quite often platelets are pooled from up to four units of blood the total number of donations rises dramatically.
“Sadly, after all this treatment Michael’s cancer returned and our precious son died 363 days after diagnosis,” said Louise, now aged 53.
“Devastating as that was, and indeed still is, we will always be eternally grateful for that extra year we had with our son, that allowed us to truly see the man he had become. Time that provided us with such wonderful memories. His 23rd birthday, the fun he had with his £2.50 head torch Christmas present, a magical visit to the Saints rugby ground...
“Every time Michael wanted to do something special, to have some fun, he was ‘topped up’ beforehand. Units of blood and platelets gave him the necessary energy to rise to the challenge.
“Just 10 days before he died, Michael went to visit the Saints rugby ground and, surrounded by friends and family, he had a wonderful time.
“He was joined afterwards by many of the players and he was buzzing right up to the point that he fell exhausted into his bed.
“In the days before he was given four units of blood and six units of platelets. Without those donations, he would not have had the energy to even get out of bed let alone do what he did.
“The joy that day brought and the other special times provided us with such wonderful memories, memories that sustain us... memories we would not have had without all those nameless, faceless, wonderful people who donated blood.”
Since Michael’s death, Louise and her husband Mick have become dedicated supporters of the Anthony Nolan Orgnisation, which saves lives every day of people with blood cancer.
They have attended donor drives and have been trained to sign people up onto the Anthony Nolan stem cell register and collect saliva samples with the motto “Give a Spit and Save a Life.”
Their son Robin also supports their efforts.
Despite the amount of people who helped Michael through his last year, there are many more people desperate to receive blood donations, stem cell transplants and organ donations.
For instance 96 per cent of us rely on the other four per cent to give blood and, although 90 per cent of the population support organ donation, only 27 per cent have signed up for it.
Currently 7,000 units of blood are needed every day to help save the lives of sick and injured patients across England and North Wales, yet only four per cent of the eligible population give blood and only 0.03 per cent donate platelets.
Anyone aged between 17 and 65, weighing more than 50 kg (7 stone 12lbs) and in general good health could potentially become a blood donor. There is no upper age limit for donors who have donated in the last two years.
To book an appointment call the Donor Line on 0300 123 23 23 or visit www.blood.co.uk
The Anthony Nolan Organisation uses its register to match donors willing to donate their blood stem cells to people who need transplants. For more information visit: www.anthonynolan.org.
To learn more about organ donation visit: www.organdonation.nhs.uk
‘Why I have given blood 115 times...’
AT the age of 56 John Ryan has donated blood a total of 115 times.
The co-ordinator for the Northampton body of the Anthony Nolan organisation, he also works alongside Louise to present the Register & Be a Life Saver educational project run by the Anthony Nolan organisation in schools, colleges and universities, to encourage people to become donors.
“I started to donate in my 20s because I thought it sounded like a good thing to do, now I know it is a necessary thing to do,” said John.
“It’s 60 minutes of your time, but it could mean a lot more extra time for someone who needs it, and could even save a life.
In Moulton, where John lives, blood donation sessions have been hugely successful, and currently there are 466 donors on the NHS blood donor base for the village.
The NHS looks to achieve an approximate donation of four per cent of the eligible population aged between 17 to 65 and, while Moulton doesn’t seem to be far off this, other groups and areas need to be higher.
John said: “For blood, stem cell and organ donation there are more people needed, especially from ethnic minority groups, as there is a better chance of getting a closer match and a successful transplant if the donor and recipient are from the same ethnic group.”
The next NHS Blood and transplant session will be on Thursday, August 16, between 1pm and 3.30pm and from 4.30pm to 7.30pm in the Main Lecture Hall, Moulton School, Pound Lane, Moulton, NN3 7SD. To make an appointment, call 0300 123 23 23 or visit www.blood.co.uk and join Team Give Blood.
The gift of life...for not one but two
AT 19 years old and a fresher at university Kris Lines should have been enjoying the beginnings of student life.
But three months in and a routine eye test threw his whole life off course.
“I had gone for an eye test and they saw some haemorrhaging in my eyes and then I was diagnosed with leukaemia,” said Kris, from Billing Road, Northampton, now aged 32.
“When I look back there were some signs that I didn’t notice, like I had lost some weight, but I didn’t think anything of it.
“I was young so I kind of accepted it and got on with looking towards the treatments. I think it was a lot harder for my parents.
“I had to drop out of university and move back to Northampton.
“It was January 4, 2000 when I was told. I started treatment the next day.”
Throughout Kris’s treatment he had blood transfusions and dialysis, but after a few months things did not improve.
“After three months they realised the leukaemia had turned acute,” said Kris.
“I had to have three operations and in the third one they thought that I would die.
“I was then told that I had three months to live.”
However, because of Kris’s aged he was given a trial drug.
“Without it I would have died. It turned me around enough for me to be eligible for a bone marrow transplant.
“I had one sister but she wasn’t a match. All I know about the man that saved my life was he was 42 years old and he gave it in London.
“I now have a little girl who is seven months old.
“So he didn’t just save one life, he helped create another.”