THE NHS is celebrating blood plasma donors and appealing for more to come forward as it observes Plasma Donation Week.
It has also shared the story of Rebecca Kaye, who has Guillain-Barré syndrome, to highlight the importance of donations.
Rebecca woke one morning in April 2015 feeling unwell, progressively worsening during the day.
She consulted her GP, who referred her to the Neurology department at John Radcliffe Hospital.
She continued to deteriorate and was confirmed to have Guillain-Barré syndrome following an MRI scan.
The condition is rare but very serious–occasionally life-threatening), causing numbness, weakness, and pain predominantly in the feet, hands, and limbs.
Problems with balance and coordination are also symptoms, most of which can continue to worsen over a number of days or weeks.
After diagnosis, Rebecca began immunoglobin treatment, which helps to contain antibodies and help the immune system.
After around a week in intensive care, she stopped requiring a feeding tube and catheter and began regaining her mobility.
She left hospital the following month and continued to recover at home.
The condition is thought to be caused by a problem with the immune system, which begins to damage the nerves.
Donated blood is used to create immunoglobin which can be used intravenously to treat Guillain-Barré syndrome.
A plasma exchange, where a machine is used to filter the patient’s blood, can also be used to treat the condition alongside pain killers.
Treatment usually requires at least a few weeks in hospital, often months, and recovery can last up to a year.
Nerve damage caused by the condition can take several years to repair and around one in five people face long-term issues with mobility, numbness or tingling, balance, coordination, and fatigue.
A patient like Rebecca needs medication which requires around 56 donations a year to make.
Rebecca said: “The doctors came in and did lots of tests on me such as seeing if I could stand or hold my arm up whilst they pushed it down.
“I was getting worse, and they said there was no doubt it was GBS–I slowly lost mobility and stopped being able to walk or move my arms.
“My speech became slurred as I lost feeling in my mouth.”
After coming home from intensive care, she explained: “I stayed in bed for the first few days, then got helped to move to a sofa.
“I had a physiotherapist who helped me and every day I got better and better.”
She had planned to travel across South America after her daughter had finished her GCSEs during the summer of 2015.
She said: “In May it felt completely un-doable, but I didn’t cancel it–every day I felt stronger and stronger.
“In mid-June, we travelled round Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, Chile and Easter Islands for a month.”
“I asked many medical professionals how I went from being effectively paralysed to being able to travel the following month.
“No one could give a definitive answer, but the consensus was it was because I got diagnosed and started on IVIG so quickly–I am very grateful to everyone who donates plasma.”
A spokesperson for NHS Blood and Transplant said: “There is a growing need for the unique medicines made from plasma which is used to treat over 50 diseases.
“We need around 600 more people to donate plasma at Reading Plasma Centre this year to help save even more lives.
“It’s as easy as giving blood and takes around an hour. If you’re the giving type, please book an appointment now at blood.co.uk”
Reading is home to one of just three dedicated plasma donation centres in England.
