A WOMAN suffering from the fastest growing genetic blood disorder in the country has urged people in Oxford to register to donate blood and save lives.

Stephanie Danso, who lives in Blackbird Leys, has sickle cell, a disorder affecting the shape of red blood cells, which carry oxygen to all parts of the body.

It requires regular transfusions, most often with the specific blood sub type Ro.

Ms Danso has had more than half a dozen near fatal sickle cell crises in the last ten years and every six to 8 weeks, she receives a full red blood exchange, where all the blood in her body is replaced.

Ms Danso, 30, said: “I was hospitalised and it was a near-death experience – to put it simply, if people hadn’t donated blood, I wouldn’t be here right now.

“It has allowed me to live and get on with life, and helped me to do day-to-day activities. It reduces painful episodes, which doesn’t mean I don’t have crises anymore but it means they are less painful and that I have bigger chances of surviving them.”

Oxford Mail: Stephanie Danso receiving bloodStephanie Danso receiving blood

Ms Danso, a social worker, started to receive blood transfusions when she was 18.

She said: “You can’t really describe a crisis, it is excruciating pain and you think this might be it, your last moment.

“They say a crisis is ten times more painful than childbirth and that’s an underestimation so that gives you an idea.

“Why not you? Why not become a blood donor. Small actions make a big difference.

“People donating blood is the reason I’m alive and the reason I can live a more normal day-to-day life as a young person.

“I don’t think people realise that and I think it’s so important that we talk more about it. It’s not only for the extreme cases, but to give people the chance of a normal life.

“We need you to be that person to make a difference.”

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The NHS Blood and Transplant, which provide the blood donation service for England and the organ donation service for the UK, said that more than 800 new donors are needed in Oxford to help treat people suffering from the disorder.

 

 

The authority says there is a particular urgency for more donors of Black African and Black Caribbean ethnicity to treat the disorder, as 55 per cent of Black blood donors have the Ro subtype, compared to 2.4 per cent of donors from other ethnicities.

The demand for Ro blood is projected to double by 2025. 

Stephen Cornes, director of blood supply at NHS Blood and Transplant, said: “Currently we can only meet around half of the demand for Ro blood through our existing donor base and demand for this rare blood type is rising.

“This means many sickle cell patients often receive less well-matched blood which, while clinically suitable, can pose a longer-term risk to patients who receive regular transfusions.

“We urgently need new Black African and Black Caribbean donors to come forward and donate blood.

“In addition to the rarest blood types, we also need one million new donors over the next five years of all blood types. As the NHS treats more patients, we need to grow the total number of donors too.

“We carefully manage stocks to ensure we do not waste any precious blood. If you cannot get an appointment immediately it is because we have enough of your blood type right now. Please book for a later date or respond when we contact you.”

 

 

Blood donation generally takes up to an hour and appointments to donate blood are arranged based on a donors’ blood type to meet future patient needs.

Young people and those of Black African or Black Caribbean heritage are being urged by the NHS to find out their blood type by making their first donation.

You can donate at the Oxford Blood Donor Centre based at the John Radcliffe Hospital, booking an appointment by visiting blood.co.uk, downloading the GiveBloodNHS app or by calling 0300 123 23 23.