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Rotherham residents rewarded for reaching blood donation milestones
Over a dozen Rotherham residents were honoured for rolling up their sleeves to help save lives at a recent awards ceremony.
The veteran blood donors were each presented with special gifts for reaching either 75 or 100 blood donations apiece.
A total of 13 donors reached 75 donations – a feat managed by just 2% of all blood donors. Each blood donation can potentially help save the lives of three people, so these donors could have potentially saved 225 lives each. They received a crystal plate from NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) for their dedication.
Meanwhile, three of those honoured were presented with a crystal decanter for notching up 100 donations - a milestone which is only reached by 1% of donors and can potentially help save 300 lives.
Overall, the 16 Rotherham donors have helped to save around 3,600 patients in local hospitals over the years.
They were presented with their awards at a ceremony at Baldwins Omega in Sheffield.
Among those to receive their 100th donation award was 61-year-old Rotherham man John Evans, who has been donating for 43 years. Urging others to follow his example, the former British Steel worker and IT manager said: “Try donating – just once.
“Then if you feel good about it, aim for a goal of say 10 donations and see where you go from there.”
Among those to receive their 75th award was Rotherham man Paul Furness, a 52-year-old NHS transport driver who has been donating for 29 year.
Mr Furness can count at least one close family member who has benefitted from donated blood after his wife received transfusions while being treated for cancer.
Encouraging others to give blood, he said: “It is painless, takes a few minutes and you never know – your loved ones might benefit one day.”
Peter Edwards, a 61-year-old Methodist minister who was also rewarded for reaching 75 donations, echoed his advice.
When asked what he would say to encourage others to give blood, the Rotherham man said: “I would tell them that there is nothing to fear. The needle going into the vein really is no more than a small scratch and it is something so vital you can give for just a small sacrifice of time.
“In the course of my ministry I have known lots of people who have had blood transfusions and in some cases they really have saved their lives.”
Holly Mason, NHSBT’s lead donor relations manager for the Rotherham area, said: “It’s wonderful that we can call on people who have dedicated themselves to giving blood over so many years.
“However, every year many existing donors in our region have to stop giving blood due to factors like ill-health and medication, so in order to maintain blood stocks, we constantly need new donors.
“If you would like to become one of the life-savers of the future, make an appointment to attend a local session either by calling or visiting our website
