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Former patient Olivia salutes blood donors
IT'S hard to believe Olivia Wallace was once so desperately ill with leukaemia she was fighting for her life.
The eight-year-old from Greenhill in Sheffield survived the disease thanks to the skill of doctors at Sheffield Children's Hospital and the help of some of the region's army of dedicated blood donors who gave her the precious gift of life.
Olivia was aged two when she diagnosed with leukaemia in 2003.
She went on to suffer a catalogue of problems as chemotherapy caused her to have a stroke, and then blood poisoning left her fighting for life.
But she is now in full remission, fit and well, and enjoying life.
And to celebrate World Blood Donor Day Olivia and her mum Marie dropped into the Sheffield Blood Donor Centre where they handed over a thank you card signed by grateful young patients who have all received blood transfusions in Sheffield Children's Hospital.
Marie wants to encourage more donors to come forward.
She said: "You can't measure the importance of donors, or put a price on blood.
"By donating you will be doing something very special. Without people like that we wouldn't have Olivia.
"She was only two when she fell ill, and blood was used in her fight against leukaemia and also when she had further setbacks.
"Transfusions of platelets, which help the blood to clot, helped keep her with us when she got meningococcal septicaemia."
To find out more about becoming a blood donor log on to www.blood.co.uk or call 0300 123 2323.
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Thursday 09 February 2012
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