Birmingham mum who lost 8.5L of blood over Christmas asks locals to give a “lifechanging” gift this year

A mum-of-2 from Coleshill, Birmingham, is asking people to take an hour out of their Christmas or New Year sales shopping this year to give the most important gift of all by donating blood.

Kate Grieves, 37, required lifesaving blood, plasma and platelet transfusions two years ago on 28th December, following the birth of her daughter Mia. She is reported to have lost 8.5l of blood, more than her body’s total circulating volume.

She said: "Giving blood saves lives. I know Christmas is a really, really busy time of year for everybody, and just that small piece of time could be absolutely life-changing for not only the individual, but their families as well.

"If I hadn’t had that blood available to me, it would have been fatal."

Blood is needed all year round and there is currently high demand from hospitals. However, during the festive period the NHS sees less donation appointments booked, and more appointments cancelled due to illnesses and bad weather. The NHS can end up using more blood than is collected, leaving stocks running low over Christmas or into January.

Teams across the country collect blood every day of the year apart from Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. Blood has a shelf life of just 35 days, making it vital that people continue to donate throughout this critical Winter period.

Kate's story

Kate knows first-hand just how vital this is. In December 2023, she was getting ready to welcome her daughter Mia.

She was scheduled for a Caesarean section at George Eliot Hospital in Warwickshire on 28th December due to a medical condition called placenta previa, where the placenta lies low in the uterus and covers the cervix. There is an increased risk of bleeding associated with the condition and her medical team said it was not safe to go into labour naturally.

However, on the 21st December she began to feel contractions. Kate says:

"I went into hospital and they started to prepare me for an emergency caesarean. They were a bit panicked because they knew this condition – placenta previa – put me at risk of blood loss.

"I remember being in hospital and they were saying 'we've ordered more blood in, we’ve ordered more blood in’, because they were preparing for it to happen."

The doctors found that her contractions were brought on by an infection, so she was given antibiotics and was able to go home. “We had Christmas, but it was very quiet because I was nervous,” she said.

A week later on 28th December, Kate’s daughter Mia was safely delivered via scheduled C-section. However, shortly after surgery, Kate began bleeding in recovery and had to be rushed back into theatre and placed under general anaesthetic.

The bleeding could not be controlled and she lost 8.5 litres of blood. Doctors had to perform an emergency hysterectomy to save her life, and Kate received multiple transfusions of blood, platelets, and plasma during the surgery.

She said: "Without those donations, I wouldn’t be here. Even with the hysterectomy, it wouldn’t have been enough. I needed blood to survive."

Kate woke up in intensive care and spent nine days in hospital before continuing her recovery at home with her daughter Mia. Two years later, she remains deeply grateful for the blood donors who unknowingly saved her life by giving blood in the run up to Christmas.

Kate said: "I received someone's blood donation, and for me was far more important than any gift I could have had. If anybody is willing to donate their blood, that could honestly be life-changing for so many people."

Although she is no longer eligible to donate blood after having received a transfusion, her commitment to giving back remains stronger than ever and Kate’s family has embraced this mission. Her dad is a donor, as are her mum and stepsister, who both have O-negative blood.

O negative is the universal blood type, which means it can be given to anyone in an emergency before their blood type is known. O negative blood is particularly in demand right now, along with B negative, a blood type found in just 2% of the population, and the subtype Ro that is vital for the treatment of sickle cell and most commonly found in people of Black African or Caribbean heritage.

Kate said: "I tell everyone I know to donate. It’s my way of giving back to the NHS and thank you to the donors who saved me.

"You never know when you or someone you love will need it. Blood donation keeps people alive. It's the most meaningful gift you can give."

NHSBT Head of Region Katrina Davies said:

"Blood is needed every day, all year round, for patients during childbirth and surgery, as well as to treat cancer, blood disorders and people suffering medical trauma. Blood can be split into parts after donation, so each donation can save or improve up to three lives.

"It's a busy time of year, but the Birmingham Blood Donor Centre and Plasma Donor Centre on New Street are right next door to the shops and Christmas markets, and donating only takes an hour.

"We especially need more O negative, B negative and Ro donations. Please book an appointment for the coming weeks and help ensure that people like Kate can continue to receive the lifesaving blood they need over Christmas."

How you can help

Register today and book appointment through our website, the NHS Give Blood app or call 0300 123 23 23.