Mother's plea for platelet donors

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A mother whose baby son's life was saved by platelet donations has backed a campaign urging people to become donors.

Claire Leishman's son Ciaran was given just a 5% chance of survival when he was born with a rare genetic condition.

But his mother said he was now doing well after treatment with platelets.

Platelets are a component of blood that helps it clot. They can help treat premature babies and diseases including cancer and leukaemia.

The Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service (SNBTS) has launched a drive to boost the number of platelet donors in Scotland from 1,550 to 2,020 by the end of the year.

Glasgow couple Ms Leishman, 23, and her partner Steven McRobbie, 30, spoke of their gratitude to the donors who helped save their son's life.

As a result of this treatment, and after several more operations, we were able to bring Ciaran home at 11 weeks old Claire Leishman

Ciaran, now 18 months old, was born at the Queen Mother's Hospital in Glasgow with the condition congenital diaphragmatic hernia, which meant his bowel, liver and stomach were in his chest and he had very little lung capacity.

The baby was immediately placed on ventilation and then treated with an extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) machine for nine days at the Yorkhill children's hospital, which increased his chances of survival to 50%.

The ECMO process involves circulating the patient's blood outside the body and adding oxygen to it artificially, and the machine needs platelets to work.

Ms Leishman said: "As a result of this treatment, and after several more operations, we were able to bring Ciaran home at 11 weeks old.

"His lung is now functioning normally for the time being, and he is a beautiful thriving little boy who is the light of our lives.

Ciaran's parents said he was doing well after a series of operations

"Ciaran needed several doses of platelets and several whole blood transfusions for his life-saving treatment.

"I had never heard of platelets before this happened to my family, and I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to every platelet donor in Scotland."

She urged other people to donate, and said she was planning on becoming a donor herself.

Platelets have the shortest shelf life of all blood components, lasting only five days.

SNBTS aims to hold 100 adult dose equivalent (ADE) treatments of platelets in stock at all times.

To manufacture one ADE from whole blood requires the platelet component from four whole blood donations.

'Donor centres'

However, one platelet donation will manufacture enough platelets for three ADEs, helping to save many more lives.

Moira Eadie, deputy donor services manager at SNBTS, said: "Many people know about the need for blood and blood donors.

"However, if you live near one of our blood donor centres in Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow or Inverness, it may also be possible for you to give platelets.

"Donating platelets takes 90 minutes, and we ask all platelet donors to come along once every four weeks."

Donors can give platelets every four weeks, compared with every 12 weeks for whole blood donations.