Gazette area’s donors’ life-saving commitment honoured

Back, left to right, Mary Coy, Richard Fryett, and Roger Gentle,
Front, left to right, Elizabeth Harris, Darren Bowen, regional donor contact manager for NHS Blood and Transplant, 100th award recipient Susan Rixon, of Rustington — Back, left to right, Mary Coy, Richard Fryett, and Roger Gentle, Front, left to right, Elizabeth Harris, Darren Bowen, regional donor contact manager for NHS Blood and Transplant, 100th award recipient Susan Rixon, of Rustington

NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) honoured the lifesaving efforts of 120 blood donors from Sussex at an awards ceremony at The Grand Hotel, in Brighton. Between them, the donors have given more than 9,575 units of blood.

Rustington donor Susan Rixon, 63, of Wallace Road, was hailed for completing her 100th donation, earlier this year.

Susan, a retired shop assistant, said: “I wanted to help the sick. It is so worthwhile and it makes me feel good that I can do something for others.”

Other donors included Mary Coy, of Angmering, Richard Fryett and Roger Gentle, both of Littlehampton, and Elizabeth Harris, of East Preston.

All four were presented with a certificate for reaching their 75th donation milestone.

Tour manager Richard, 59, of Norfolk Road said: “My wife received blood during childbirth and I have continued giving blood so many times to give something back. It doesn’t hurt and it makes you feel ‘warm’ inside. You could save a life in half an hour.”

With each blood donation potentially saving the lives of up to three people, a donor who has given blood 75 times could have helped save the lives of up to 225 patients. Out of the four per cent of the eligible population who give blood, only three per cent ever manage to reach 75 donations and just one per cent reach 100.

To find out how to donate, see www.blood.co.uk or call 0300 123 23 23.