Etta's Easter eggs

Few things in life are as sweet as the tea and biscuits you sit down with after giving a lifesaving donation, but some donors this spring have been the lucky recipients of an extra seasonal treat.

Part-time Easter bunny Etta attended a donation session in Ipswich with a bountiful basket of chocolate eggs in April, giving donors her thanks for the blood and platelet transfusions that helped to save her life.

"Seeing Etta was like a wonderful rainbow and ray of light," says Karl, one of those lifesaving donors who received an Easter egg from the 4-year-old. "She brightened up my day even more than the sunshine outside!"

Diagnosed with a form of leukaemia at just 20 months old, Etta relied on blood and platelet transfusions to help with her treatment.

Last Easter, Etta was receiving intensive chemotherapy, only coming home very briefly before needing to return for a blood transfusion. She has since gone into remission and rang the cancer bell in October 2024.

"Etta has finished her treatment and will hopefully be able to spend Easter at home with her family and making happy memories together," says her mum, Becky, a former NHS phlebotomist and blood donor.

"With Etta's condition, people always ask: 'what can I do to help?', and I always say: 'donate blood!' It's the most incredible gift and people who donate blood and platelets are nothing but lifesavers."

Platelet donations can help people like Etta to avoid blood loss while receiving chemotherapy, making them crucial in the treatment of cancer. Nearly 70% of donated platelets go to people with cancer.

Platelets last just 7 days after they've been donated, making every donation of lifesaving importance.

There's currently a need for more platelet donors, with demand especially high for those with A positive, A negative, and AB negative blood types.

Blood and platelet stocks are often at risk of shortfall around public holidays, including at Easter, with donors encouraged to book appointments if they can.

"To anyone thinking of donating," says Becky, "it's super simple. The process to sign up and book an appointment is easy, with many different times for appointments."

One platelet donation can help up to 3 adults or 12 children. If you are interested in becoming a platelet donor, please visit the the platelet donation website to find out more.