Blood recipient meets the blood donor who helped save her life after crash

A blood donor had an emotional TV meeting with the woman whose life he helped save after a horrific motorbike accident.

Alex Quant-Smith met Ruth Cork after his blood plasma was transfused into her mid-flight by an air ambulance team.

NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) arranged the meeting, which was filmed and then broadcast by 'The One Show' on BBC 1 tonight, Thursday 17 April, to highlight the NHSBT appeal for blood donors.

There is a particular need for donors over Easter because donations drop on Bank Holidays. With Easter falling late this year, there are four bank holidays in just six weeks, which puts real pressure on blood stocks.

Ruth and Alex met for the first time and exchanged emotional hugs and were interviewed by presenter Jeff Brazier.

Ruth, 38, of Shrewsbury, suffered 13 broken bones and serious head and face injuries during the accident on the A65 in Cumbria in August 2022.

Her motorbike was in collision with a car while travelling at around 70mph. She was thrown over her handlebars and into a ditch.

Her injuries included a broken femur, sacrum, jaw, cheekbone, skull, pelvis, displaced and crushed vertebrae.

She had serious internal bleeding, a bleed under her chin, a sub arachnoid haemorrhage (a bleed on the brain), and internal bleeding.

The Great North Air Ambulance gave her a transfusion of red blood cells and a transfusion of blood plasma during the 14-minute flight to Royal Preston Hospital.

NHSBT gets plasma by separating it out from normal blood donations. It contains proteins which help blood to clot.

The plasma came from Alex Quant-Smith, a 36-year-old from Spalding in Lincolnshire who works as local authority teacher for deaf pupils.

Alex, a married dad of two adopted children, has around about 15 blood donations. He donated as a young man but then had to stop due the previous restrictions affecting gay men. He restarted donating after the Government changed donation laws in 2021, enabling more gay men to donate.

Thanks to the care she received, Ruth was able to largely recover and has done on to do charity runs and walks for the Great North Air Ambulance.

Alex and Ruth meeting

Ruth met Alex in an office room above the NHSBT West End Blood Donor Centre in central London.

Ruth said about the meeting:

"I'm lost for words when it comes to the blood donors. Without them I could have bled out. I owe them a lot – I owe them my life.

"As an ordinary person, Alex has done something extraordinary - saving a life, which very few can say they've done.

"He played an early and critical role among the many who helped save mine. He will always have a special place in my heart, and in my blood!

"Meeting Alex was an emotional experience that filled me with excitement, profound gratitude, and anticipation.

"I was delighted to finally give thanks, from the bottom of my heart, to the man whose selfless act of donating blood saved my life.

"Our conversation was reassuring and enlightening. We discovered a number of shared interests as we delved into each others life stories.

"I suspect that we have found a lasting friendship that will endure for many years to come. All from the act of Alex donating blood, without a second thought as to whom it may save.”

Alex said about the meeting:

"Meeting Ruth was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

"Knowing that one simple action has saved someone's life is something that still feels surreal. The process of donating is something that so many people can do.

“Ruth and I are still chatting via text and are arranging to meet up again. I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to travel down to London and talk about blood donation.

"It's something that affected my family when I was younger. I'm so glad I got the opportunity to meet Ruth and it's made it more important for me to spread the word of blood donation and talk about it more openly!"

Laura Green, a consultant haematologist for NHS Blood and Transplant, said:

"Blood donations are critical for saving lives after a traumatic injury. The red cells replace the blood you've lost, carrying oxygen around your body. And the blood plasma can help the blood to clot.

"Without Alex's donation, Ruth may have died from her crash injuries. It was lovely to see them meet. Ruth was so grateful to Alex and so excited to thank him in person.

"Blood donors can only meet their recipients if we arrange it, so this was a very rare and special occasion.

"We always need new blood donors but due to projected low stocks over Easter and during the run of Bank Holidays afterwards, we urgently need people to book appointments over the next 7 to 10 days."

How you can help

NHSBT has 27 permanent blood donor centres in towns and cities and also 50 mobile teams who collect in community venues such as church halls, businesses, and sports centres.

The NHS needs nearly 200,000 blood donors every year, especially those with blood types in high demand such as O negative. Blood is constantly needed to help the NHS treat patients with cancer, blood disorders and those suffering medical trauma or undergoing surgery. Blood can be split into parts after donation, so each donation can save or improve up to three lives.

You can book an appointment through our website, the NHS Give Blood app or call 0300 123 23 23