Receiving blood let me be there for my children

I had had a very normal delivery with my first child, my daughter. What happened this time was completely unexpected.  

I had a normal birth with my son, but after the birth my placenta was retained and it caused a major haemorrhage. It was really unlucky; it doesn’t happen to a lot of people. 

I lost three litres of blood and was in theatre within minutes where I was given two transfusions of blood within an hour of it happening. The next morning I received a third.  

I tell my friends it was like receiving 'liquid gold' as it honestly made me feel better almost instantly. Amazingly I actually left hospital only three days later, which I find remarkable. It took me a while to recover but the transfusion helped my blood count reach a normal range so I didn't have to stay in hospital for long.  

I had a consultation after everything that happened and the surgeon was quite clear that it was a life-threatening situation, so those donations really did save my life and let me be there for my children.  

My son has just turned three and my daughter is now five; she started school in September. As a family we enjoy going for walks and the kids love riding their bikes.  

I had donated blood myself before my transfusions as my family are medical and I understood the importance of them. Little did I know I would become a recipient myself. It’s a shame I can't donate anymore!  

One positive that's come out of this is that now my friends and family regularly donate. My sister has always donated. She is a longstanding NHS worker and has donated over 50 times! She has received certificates and badges because she’s donated loads.  

My husband hadn't really donated before but since my incident he's now regular donor as well. He says "After experiencing first-hand the importance of having blood available so quickly I would encourage everyone to donate. It really does help save lives." 

To people thinking about donating blood, I’d definitely say, please do it!