‘It literally kept her alive’ - Nairn father shares power of transfusions during daughter’s cancer treatment in BBC show special
A Nairn father was featured on a BBC show’s Christmas special to share how blood donations helped his daughter enjoy important moments, before losing her to cancer in 2023.
James Suddick (53) - whose daughter Rachel was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia in 2019, when she was only 19 - was one of three people talking about the real-life impact of blood transfusions as part of TV drama series Casualty’s episode “All I Want for Christmas”.
“It literally kept her alive, and you just got your daughter back there with you,” he said in the episode, explaining the effect of blood transfusions on Rachel.
“She started chemotherapy, and as the treatment progressed she would really feel low, really fatigued. So, she would be utterly reliant on the generosity of someone who has made a blood donation to provide her with the transfusion.”
The episode, which aims to encourage more people to donate blood, aired on Saturday, only a few days after what would have been Rachel’s 24th birthday.
“She loved the sciences,” said Mr Suddick.
“That’s what she pursued through secondary school and then off to uni, to study pharmacology and immunology.
“She set her heart on medicine, so she was going to become a doctor, but, sadly, she wasn’t able to do that.”
During her treatment, Rachel documented her journey through an Instagram account called TransplantinPolaroids.
She also used her own experience through chemotherapy, transfusions and a bone marrow transplant as she continued her studies at Aberdeen University
“We didn’t know how long we would have with her,” Mr Suddick said.
“When we were told that it wasn’t going to be long, Rachel set up a list of things she wanted to do. Attending graduation was a large part of that for her. Just so proud of this brilliant achievement that she had made.
“But it was bittersweet. She was robbed of the fantastic future that she deserved.
“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.”
To give blood, head to the Scotblood website where you can check your eligibility, sign up, and book an appointment - or call 0345 90 90 999 (Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm).
And whether you are donating or have benefitted from donation let us know about it - your story should be celebrated and may inspire others to do their bit.
