‘Without blood donors my children wouldn’t have a mother and my husband wouldn’t have a wife’ - Highland mum thanks Scottish Blood Transfusion Service as Arnold Clark workmates rally in support
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A Highland mum’s gratitude to the blood donor service that saved her life in the days after childbirth has inspired a group donation by work colleagues.
It took 12 transfusions from 12 different people to keep Kate Macrae alive in 2021 after she was rushed from home by ambulance to Raigmore Hospital in Inverness.
The Ardersier woman was left in no doubt that those postnatal complications would have claimed her life without generous public donations of blood.
Having told her story to colleagues at Arnold Clark in Inverness, where she works as an accounts assistant, 10 staff pledged to donate blood to the Inverness Donor Centre on March 14 and 15.
“I think of this as my way of saying thank you and giving back to the people who saved my life,” Kate said.
“Your whole world can change in a flash, and you just never know when you or one of your loved ones might need some help from a stranger.”
Each donation given by a member of the public can help save or improve the lives of up to three people, meaning that the Arnold Clark employees’ efforts could help 30 patients.
Kate, who is married to Mike and mother to Abigail and Hollie, recalled: “I suffered a massive postpartum haemorrhage after giving birth to Abigail in 2021.
“My husband Mike called 999 and I was blue lighted into hospital, quickly taken into theatre and put under general anaesthetic.
“As they wheeled me away on the hospital trolley, I told Mike to tell the girls I loved them.
“Thankfully, my life was saved by 12 transfusions given by 12 different people across Scotland.”
Kate’s husband Mike, who lives with colitis, also received a lifesaving transfusion when he was just 18.
“There’s absolutely no doubt that without blood donors my children wouldn’t have a mother, and my husband wouldn’t have a wife. So, with that in mind, I’ve always wanted to do something to pay back the generosity I was awarded,” Kate said.
“I feel so proud of my Arnold Clark colleagues. All I needed to do was send an email around the office about what I was hoping to do and I was humbled by how many people got back in touch saying they wanted to get involved.
“I passed the information to the team at Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service who made booking the group donation easy.
“I’d say to anyone who hasn’t given blood before to just give it a try.
“I’d also encourage anyone who hasn’t been along in a while to just go online or give the team a call to get their appointment booked.
“Living with the knowledge of the difference you’ve made to patients out there is so rewarding.
“It might mean giving up an hour of your day, but that hour could make the difference of a lifetime to someone else.”
One colleague who donated blood said: “Hearing what Kate and her family had been through, and how blood donors had been there for them, we really wanted to get involved.
“Our employers have been really supportive and it’s created a real buzz in the workplace.”
Inverness blood donor centre is open on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays and a special Sunday session will also be held this Sunday (April 14) to help boost stocks.
The service can be contacted online or by calling 0345 90 90 999 (Mon-Fri 9am till 5pm) to book an appointment or to find out more.
If you are interested in arranging a group booking with your team or with colleagues, you can find out more here.
