Nairn woman remembered as auntie marks 50th blood donation in her honour
It was more than forty years ago that Joanna Blake, aged 18, became a blood donor for the first time.
Her first experience was facilitated by her school, and she still remembers how glad she was for finally being able to support people in need.
“My father had always given blood, and I remember how proud he was when he got his silver badge for his 25th donation,” she recalls.
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“It was one of those automatic things, when you have a parent that is already giving blood. That’s how I started.”
Now, aged 60, she has also passed that milestone - with her 50th blood donation marking an even more poignant date for her and her family.
That coincided with what would have been her niece’s 24th birthday on December 18.
Rachel Suddick, from Nairn, was in fact among the people who benefitted from blood donations as she faced a three-year long battle with an aggressive form of blood cancer, before she passed away in May 2023.
“It was only when Rachel became ill and we actually realised the significance of giving blood.
“I think up until then, I'd always assumed it was reserved for car accidents and childbirth, but seeing her, we realised just what a difference getting a blood transfusion made to her generally. That's an aspect I'd never been aware of before then.”
During her treatment, Rachel herself was active in advocating for blood donations and helping people in the same situation as hers.
After her death in May, her family launched a blood drive in 2023 in her memory and her father, James - Joanna’s brother - shared her story on BBC’s Christmas special of the popular TV show Casualties last year to encourage more people to donate blood.
“It kept her alive”, he said in the interview.
“She had in excess of 150 transfusions, and people’s donations kept her alive, they enabled the treatment and they gave us three and a half precious years with her.”
For Joanna and her daughter Emily (32), this made it even more important to keep on donating blood.
“Rachel was a wonderful, wonderful girl,” she said.
“She never stopped smiling - even throughout all her treatments, when we visited her, she always put in every effort to smile, and then collapsed exhausted after. I don’t know if she was protecting us then. She’d use every ounce of energy into making other people feel good.
“She put so much into her short life - she really went at it!
“She was really something else. We miss her dreadfully.”
Since Rachel’s diagnosis, mother and daughter have been booking a new donation appointment every 12 weeks, which is the maximum consented at present.
“That’s what we do now - it goes into the calendar as soon as we donate, and we then put it in the calendar for the next 12 weeks. And about six weeks before we're due to give blood, we make an appointment online and go along for it.”
She said that reminding the public of the importance of blood donations is key to bring in more donors.
“I've had several of my friends come up to me and say oh, you know sort of given in the past and You know I haven't given recently, but because I've been posting it on Facebook or talking about it to friends, they're now keen to get back donating again as well.
“Keeping it in the public eye, through social media and in newspapers - it just reminds people, because it’s very easy to forget, and then months go by…and before you know it another year has gone!”
After a lifetime spent donating, she said things have become easier for donors.
“It’s much easier now that you can book an appointment - back in the day, you’d just turn up at the donation point and wait for your turn. Now, all it takes is about an hour of your time.
“Going with other people also makes it much easier. If I hear of anyone who would like to go, I often offer to go along or ask if they want to join me. Having one another makes it easier somehow.
“If you are giving blood and try to get a friend or relative to go along, that would double the numbers!”
“When my daughter Emily decided to start going herself, I only went for moral support initially, but after that I started donating blood again.”
She also said that when she had her children, having the option of a creche at the donation centre in Aberdeen made it much easier for her to continue donating blood.
“I used to be able to drop them in the crash knowing that they were looked after - I could give blood and then collect them afterwards. And I'd sort of yeah sit with them. You know having my Kit Kat and cup of tea.”
Emily said she started donating when they went to the University. I
“I thought Aberdeen blood centre was too far to travel to,” she said.
“Then I realised that because they were there every week, it was easier to plan to give regularly
“I really like seeing the same staff - as they’re so kind and friendly.
She added that once Rachel became ill, and we saw the difference a blood transfusion made, her and Joanna made sure we went every 3 months, even throughout the pandemic.
The mobile blood unit will be at Aberdeen University at the end of January, and she’s planning to ask a couple of her colleagues to try donating once, to see if they too could become regular donors.
For Joanna, after so many donations, it’s become a routine for her.
“For me what works well is having a bit of wine the week before the donation - or I have heard that having lots of veg works as well!
“Drinking a lot is also very important, and I never have a large meal before donating, always a quick snack!”
She said promoting donations on social media and facilitating donations at schools and universities would be really beneficial to get more young people to become donors.
Talking about her 50th donation, she said: “I was actually very overwhelmed that week, but they were lovely at the transfusion centre. It was amazing, it seemed right to mark what should have been her birthday with my 50th donation. That will always stay in my mind.
“I always said I’d get to 50 and that would be it. Now I am willing to keep going, and aiming for 75!
“What happened to Rachel - it has made us more determined to give as soon as we can, because we know she's not the only girl who needed it. There are so many people who need it, and it’s not just the odd transfusion. It was hundreds in Rachel’s case. So we got in the routine to do it as often as we can.”
The Inverness Donor Centre based at Raigmore Hospital holds various sessions weekly and is also the base for anyone looking to donate plasma only.
Highland News and Media wants to bring 5000 people from across the Highlands and Moray in to give blood between now and Easter.
Join our campaign to give blood and save lives. Book an appointment to give blood at www.scotblood.co.uk, or call 0345 90 90 999 (Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm).
