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01/08/2008
Decades of life-saving effort by a South East water worker have been recognised.
Steve Cressey, who is 43 and has recently donated his two hundredth unit of blood, has received an award from the National Blood Service (NBS). One unit of blood is just less than one pint.
The caring husband and father of three, who works for Essex & Suffolk Water as a distribution technician, began donating blood when he was 18 years old after a friend encouraged him to do it. Steve’s mother, Brenda Smith, has also been donating blood for 30 years!
Steve, who is based at the water company’s Hanningfield water treatment works, near Chelmsford, has been donating platelets since a close friend was diagnosed with leukaemia in 1999.
Platelets, which are tiny fragments of cells made in the bone marrow and released into the blood stream, are essential to stop bleeding and bruising. If a blood vessel is damaged, platelets become 'glued' together and form a platelet plug.
Steve, who lives in Harold Wood, Romford, and received a glass tankard from the NBS, said: “It was lovely to receive recognition for giving blood for all these years. Since I have been donating platelets, I have given blood once every four weeks – so I am a regular!
“When you have had personal experience of someone relying heavily on receiving blood, you really appreciate the importance of people donating. It is an easy way to make a huge difference to someone’s life. One way we can all keep our blood healthy is by drinking lots of water!”
National Blood Service’s Gill Scott, who is the nurse who first took Steve’s blood when he began donating platelets in 1999, said: “Steve is one of the regular faces down at the Brentwood Centre and we would certainly like to see more people show the commitment he does.
“We have a small and very loyal group of platelet donors but are looking out for more all the time. We tend to find mid-afternoon is a quieter time for us which could be an ideal time for people to book in.”
Top nine uses of blood donated:
1. general surgery (23%),
2. general medical (15%),
3. heart and chest surgery (13%),
4. bone disease (11%),
5. blood disease (9%),
6. accident and emergency (8%),
7. treatment of children (6%),
8. intensive care (4%),
9. pregnancy and childbirth (3.5%).
You may be able to become a blood donor if you are aged between 17-59, weigh over 7st 12lb (50kg) and are in good health. Regular donors can keep on donating until they are 70. To make an appointment to donate at your local donor session call the NBS on 08457 711 711.
ends
For further information contact Cara Hall, Essex & Suffolk Water, on 0191 301 6720 or Gareth Bell, National Blood Service, on 01223 548 166.
Notes to editors:
If you are already a blood donor you may be eligible to become a platelet donor if you are blood group O, A or B, aged 18-59, weigh more than 7st 12lb (50kg) and have given blood without any problems such as fainting or bruising.
To find out more about component donation or to arrange a platelet count test call the NBS Brentwood Donor Suite on 01277 306 000. A variety of appointments are available. The NBS is particularly interested in male platelet donors.
• Each day the NBS must collect up to 7,000 voluntary blood donations to ensure the lives of hundreds of patients across England and north Wales can be saved and improved.
• Just four per cent of the eligible population donates blood.
• People who make whole blood donations still help thousands of patients every day but four whole blood donations of the same blood group must be combined to provide one adult dose of platelets. Some very ill patients require platelet transfusions from a few closely matched donors and if this is the case then these platelets can only be collected using cell separator machines.