As part of our exhibition with Thackray Museum of Medicine, we have developed a safe space for visitors to share their own personal stories about blood. These stories form an integral part of our understanding of blood donation and transfusion.
In Julie’s story, she recalls her experience of donating blood on a cruise ship:
I was on a cruise holiday with P&O Cruises from Southampton to Barbados in December 2023 when all of a sudden, a call for blood donors was announced. A gentleman on the cruise ship was suffering from external bleeding (bleeding out) and required an immediate transfusion. The initial call for blood donors on the cruise ship was for people with a specific blood type that matched that of the person requiring the transfusion. Upon arrival, a more stringent selection process got underway. They asked all volunteers if they had a donation card, and those with a card were selected to go forward. From there, the staff were able to check medical records to ensure that volunteers had not donated blood in the last three months. If they had, they were unable to donate large amounts of blood for their own health and safety. They could also see on the records how often people donated large amounts of blood. It was on this basis that the staff made their selection, and four of us were chosen to donate blood. Prior to donating blood, I had to undergo the usual pre-tests. First, I went into a separate room on the sick bay to have my blood tested (via a finger prick test) to ensure I did not have anaemia. I was then instructed to return to the waiting area and drink lots of water ahead of donating.
I was initially told to lay flat on a bed in the cruise ship’s dedicated medical room/sick bay. I told the staff that I was uncomfortable being laid flat on my back to donate blood, especially given that we aren’t allowed to do that in a normal donation centre. Under normal circumstances, I would sit in a bucket chair, where my legs and head are raised, and my bottom is lowered. This prevents fainting. When I usually donate blood, the bag that collects the blood continually moves in what is called an ‘agitator’. However, when donating blood on the cruise ship, a member of staff simply held the bag as it collected the blood. They had to manually rotate the back to imitate the process of agitation. This prevented the blood from clotting.
I found it to be a really emotional experience in comparison to how I usually feel when donating blood. I think it was because I knew who my blood was being donated to and for what reason. The recipient was literally on the other side of the wall, and his family were communicating with staff in the waiting room. When I normally donate blood, I receive a text message to let me know when it has been used, whether that be for testing or for transfusions. Of course, under those circumstances, I do not usually know who the recipient is, so it felt particularly emotional to know that they were a matter of metres away from me.
Do you have an interesting story about blood? Submit your blood story via the form below to be featured as part of our digital exhibition.