Blood donations appeal launched at Luton Centre ahead of Christmas
The Blood Donor Centre in Luton is appealing for donation ahead of the festive period
Last updated 11th Dec 2023
The countdown to Christmas has officially started, and with it so has the race to get as many blood and platelet donations at the Blood Donor Centre in Luton.
Every year, the Centre sees a slight decline in the number of donations ahead of and during the festive period.
The Centre's manager, Emma Martin, believes it to be the consequence of a time during which families get together and enjoy the holiday.
"...unfortunately we see more road traffic accidents in the winter when the weather conditions are not so great so a lot of the time there's blood loss there."
She said: "Stocks are really good at the moment, but we need to maintain that over the winter period.
"Obviously the hospitals don't stop over Christmas so there's lots of opportunities for people to come in during the holidays and help maintain a good supply of blood for the hospitals as they need it."
Ms Martin insisted that donations this time of year are crucial to treat long-term illnesses and incidents such as road accidents.
She said: "A lot of our blood goes to cancer patients if have had major surgery, and unfortunately we see more road traffic accidents in the winter when the weather conditions are not so great so a lot of the time there's blood loss there."
"Knowing there's always going to be blood there for you is what keeps me coming back."
A donor, Leigh, came through the doors of the Centre for his 174th donation.
He told Greatest Hits Radio why he keeps going back: "I'm very fortunate through my life I've never been in a situation where I've had to have blood, I've never had any major surgery or anything like that, but I'd like to think there would always be enough blood and platelets for me if I needed it and to do that somebody's got to sit here with a needle in their arm and donate."
"Knowing there's always going to be blood there for you is what keeps me coming back."
Donations such as the one Leigh made will help hospitals around the country, wherever the blood is needed.
It could be going to a hospital on the other side of the country, like it could help a patient locally.
"It's a free gift you can give someone this Christmas just to give up an hour of your time, it's a selfless thing you can do to help a complete stranger", added Ms Martin.
The Centre is seeing a steady amount of donors coming through its doors, but there is a hope these numbers will remain high throughout the festive period to treat patients in need.
If you would like to find more information on the Luton Blood Donor Centre, you can visit their website.