Because of you, we had one more Christmas: The power of blood donation

Patients with cancer receiving chemotherapy rely on you for the greatest gift that can be given, that of life and love this Christmas time. You may not know, but over one third of all donations are used to help patients living with cancer and receiving cancer treatment.

Laurie would like to share her mum Pam’s story with you.

“Our mum was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2010 and although our mum passed in January 2022, she had lived a full life. We have found the strength to keep moving forward. We honour her memory by donating and spreading the word about how important it is to become a blood donor. Our mum was passionate about helping others and she always threw herself into whatever she put her mind to. My sister Holly and I, always try to donate blood when we can and encourage others to do the same.

The blood my mum received from donors gave her the strength to continue with her cancer treatment and ensured that she was able to spend her last Christmas at home with us — a memory that we all treasure.

Giving blood is a fantastic thing to do, and my mum was so proud to be involved and have her story shared widely by SNBTS in December 2020.

Mum hoped that this would encourage more people to donate. My mum’s story did achieve that goal.”

Pam kindly shared her thoughts on how blood donors had helped her with us back in December 2020 saying ''You don’t realise how much you want to have chemo until you are told you can’t have it because your blood isn’t well enough. Without the kindness of strangers, I wouldn’t have been able to complete my chemotherapy treatment and get back on with my life.'

Laurie says “Many people have told me they donated blood after reading my mum’s story, which makes us immensely proud. The blood my mum received from donors gave her the strength to continue with her cancer treatment and ensured that she was able to spend her last Christmas at home with us — a memory that we all treasure. 

Five years later, donating blood is still as important as ever to us.  If you have any time off over this festive period, then please think about visiting your local donor centre and make a difference. The impact you can have on someone’s life is ENORMOUS!”

SNBTS would like to sincerely thank Pam’s family for sharing her story with us. And thank you to donors who made this possible. If you have been inspired to give blood, you can find your local festive opening hours here