Just found out where my most recent blood donation went

[Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g]

I love getting that text. This time I also got an email with a link to Google maps so I could see the journey my blood went on. It went to Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford, via the processing plant in Colindale. If I hadn't already booked my next appointment this would have spurred me on to do it, so (for me, anyway) this is a really effective bit of marketing. Anyone else, or am I just a weirdo?

They won’t have my blood.
I’ve received donated blood so very grateful to all donors.

Was watching a post WW2 film yesterday set in Guernsey and randomly thought I wonder if islands have blood banks? Channel Islands, Scillie Islands, Isle of Man, Anyone know?

About ten years ago, I'd just donated and a chance conversation with the donor carer revealed they could tell me where my last 5 pints had gone by looking on their computer system. It was so brilliant - I even said at the time, they should find a way to tell everyone! I was thrilled when they introduced the text system. Not sure I got the map when I gave over the summer - am back next month so fingers crossed.

I donated, but don't get any follow up texts.
I know blood goes to people who have obviously lost blood, but what type of scenarios is it used in? Like, why would premature babies need blood?

I love the idea that my blood has worked in towns that the rest of me has never visited.

What a lovely thread!

Are the texts a new-ish thing? They sound great. I got up to my silver award with blood donations before I had to stop due to illness (never got one of these texts) but I hope one day I can do it again.

In the meantime, thank you and well done to all blood donors.

I wish I could donate. My dad used to do it all the time as he had that good blood that you can give to all the other blood types. It wasn't like he was really healthy, but healthy enough to donate and help hundreds or even thousands of people over thirty years.
It's absolutely great they show you where the blood goes. I'd want to know the actual people it went to! Not their names, but the illness they had, age etc. but I guess that might breach data as you could potentially identify them.
I've been turned away as I'm the wrong weight, sadly.

My daughter was prem and delivered by emergency CS at 34 weeks due to placental abruption. That meant her blood was going into my body, and she needed a blood transfusion as soon as she was born.

@NigelHarmansNewWife coincidentally, I live in Oldham, donate in Manchester at Plymouth Grove, and mine always goes to Newcastle or Liverpool for some reason 😁

My life was saved by five units last year (and an iron infusion), picked up during a routine blood test. My Haemoglobin was at 3. They said I very fortunate . Thank you.

@PauliesWalnuts I'm in Liverpool and mine always goes to Manchester/Oldham 😁

congratulations on donating... i keep trying but they keep cancelling the appointment, so they clearly don't need it as much as they make out they do... its been 3 years!!

Having just got out of St Peter’s with my son, after 11 days. I would love to think your blood went to the patient opposite me who received 2 units.

We don’t get texts in Scotland and I asked about is at my last donation. The staff member said that it was for two reasons- firstly that if you donate in Glasgow then 9 times out of 10 your blood will be used at one of the 2 big hospitals here, and that as the population is smaller there is the chance of working out who might have got it. It’s a shame though as we just have no clue what happens to it.

My last donation went to London, and I’m in the North East, so it must have been really needed to travel so far!
I’m O neg and suitable for neonates. I always get a special boost when they come with the little bags rather than the one big one 😊

As someone who has regular transfusions I think it's a great idea - heartfelt thanks from me to all donors

I had a massive 3.2L post-partum haemorrhage after giving birth to my first. I had two transfusions which saved my life. Thank you blood donors - without you my little girl would be motherless. ❤

Yes. I'm O Rhesus Positive, so not quite a universal donor (that's O Rhesus Negative, I think) but nearly.

I've never been able to donate blood but thank you to all of you that do especially those that do it so regularly, it's such a wonderful act of kindness.

I haven’t donated for a long time due to illness but I am recovered now. Couldn’t ever get an appointment when I was able to resume so I stopped looking, and I was receiving regular texts saying they specifically needed my blood type.

im going to look again though.

Donating is really important to me. I’ve donated all my adult life apart from pregnancy & some odd occasions through illness or not being able to find a vein. I used to sit with my mum for hours queuing at a donation session (long before you could book an appointment) when I was very young. Mum always told me it was to “save the babies” so as ridiculous as that sounds that drives me now-I’d love to get to 100 donations. I’m on 64 so still a way to go

I like the texts as well! Mine seems to go all over the place! Most recently the orthopedic hospital in Oswestry. Just by chance, my mum has received treatment for her osteoporosis there, so it felt apt.

That made me laugh out loud @Kleptronic 😁

This post has given me the nudge to do some investigating. I had surgery a couple of years ago and as a result of that I now have to take iron tablets. I thought this would mean I can’t donate but looking at the website you can donate as long as you are taking the iron for maintenance purposes and not currently anaemic. There is a number to ring so I’ll give them a call tomorrow to find out.

I’m O positive and keep trying to give blood but the appointments get cancelled each time. I think it’s because I’ve not given before, well I have but that was 1994 so I don’t think I’m registered any more.
Now I know you find out where it’s gone I want to do it even more. What makes blood suitable for neonatal?

Many, many moons ago I was a baby saved by donated blood! I wasn’t premature though, but my heart wasn’t working properly and once they managed to get it pumping, it wasn’t pumping into the right place because basically there was a hole where there shouldn’t be! (That’s a ridiculous over simplification but when people start explaining your medical history when you’re still a small child, it tends to be pretty simple terms.) The transfusions kept the blood going in my body while they could repair what was needed, and then I grew up just fine. Randomly some HCPs can hear the repair when they listen to my heart - I will often forget about it at an appointment about something else and they will ask if I know I have a funny sounding heart or should they be alarmed.

I can’t donate so many, many thank yous to everyone who does.