Blood Collectors
Monday 8 May was Resolution night at Countesthorpe WI and, after some debate, agreement was reached. Business over Barbara Talbot, a WI member, gave a fascinating talk about her job.
Barbara has a background of general nursing but 6 years ago she applied for, and got, the post of ‘Blood Collector’. Although still employed by the NHS Barbara is now seconded to the Anthony Nolan Trust. Anthony died of leukemia aged 13 for want of a bone marrow transfusion and his mum, Shirley campaigned for a register to be set up. The first bone marrow register was set up here in the UK. It became hugely successful and the trust then thought ‘what now?’.
The answer is Barbara’s job, new research and a new register. Barbara approaches women in the maternity unit at LRI and asks for permission to take away their placenta after the birth. The placenta would have been thrown away but Barbara drains it of blood so that the stem cells can be typed and registered and these self replicating cells are then used to treat cancers, Parkinson's disease, blindness and serious burns when a match is successful. Requests are received from all over the world every day. The 100th transfer was given to a 6 year old boy in Birmingham who is doing well and a 39 year old father of four who also received a transfusion is now well on the way to recovery.
‘Blood collectors’ work in the LRI, Leicester General, Manchester hospital and Kings in London and Loughborough University is now carrying out research. This important and life saving work needs to be better known so please ask your daughters, granddaughters, nieces, female friends and anyone else you can think of, to ask about it at their hospital and, if possible donate something that would have been burned. They may save a life.
It just proves you never know what WI members do until you ask.