ABOUT US
The YBH Story
Your Blood Helps was founded by Edith Victoria, whose son Gabriel (aka Gabz) was diagnosed with Sickle Cell Disease, shortly after he was born in 2012. Sickle Cell Disease is the name for a group of inherited conditions that affect the red blood cells. The most serious type is called Sickle Cell Anaemia.
In the UK, Sickle Cell Disease is particularly common in people with an African or Caribbean family background. It is a serious and lifelong condition which is managed with long-term treatment which can include patients receiving blood transfusions.
In 2016, Gabriel had his first major Sickle Cell crisis (a painful episode which can be very severe for patients). He was just three years old and during the crisis, his condition deteriorated very quickly. Gabriel spent days barely conscious, unable to breathe unaided, taking a regular cocktail of medication which included codeine, morphine, ibuprofen and paracetamol to help reduce the pain.
This is something a child so young should not have to endure, but sadly many children with this disease go through this on a regular basis. During this time, he received blood transfusions and blood exchanges, where his blood was taken out and replaced with better blood from blood donors. The improvement in Gabriel once he started receiving the transfusions was remarkable.
Edith says:
“I’m a single mum of a child whom I adore and there is nothing I would not do for him. If I could trade places with him, I would without hesitation as it is unbearable to see your child suffer in this way and be unable to relieve the pain. I am so grateful to the people whose blood donations helped to make Gabriel better, so the very least I can do is encourage more people to donate blood so that children and adults like Gabriel, who have long-term health conditions can get the blood transfusions they need to stay alive.”
“It is important blood donors are from the same ethnic background as the patient, as most Sickle patients are African or Caribbean, so we need more donors.”
“I believe we can do more; I believe we should do more. I made my first blood donation more than a decade before I had my son because I knew it was the right thing to do. I am hoping other people will feel that way too.”
Edith began to use her spare time to raise awareness about the importance of blood donations and the people who rely on them. World Sickle Cell Day is on the 19th of June so in 2017, she teamed up with NHS Blood & Transplant and the ACLT to get as many to attend the West End Donor Centre and make a blood donation. The response was encouraging and collectively everyone who took part or encouraged others to come has helped to keep someone somewhere , healthy and/or alive. Letting people know that Your Blood Helps was essential and is now a platform to share information about why, who and how people can get involved.
YBH.