Shropshire patients thank blood donors for life-saving plasma

A patient from Telford who needed a lifesaving treatment developed from blood plasma has thanked donors.

Over the past three years, thousands of litres of blood from donors across England has been stored and now it has been turned into immunoglobulin, which helps the body’s immune response.

It marks the first time in 25 years the NHS is able to make the substance from national donations, rather than relying on imports.

Sophie Meredith, who developed thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) said without a plasma exchange, she was unlikely to have survived.

“I am so grateful to everyone who donates blood,” she said.

“You are not just helping people with your red blood cells – now the plasma in your blood donation is helping people too.”

She developed TTP during pregnancy, which led to blood clots through her small blood vessels.

Untreated, the clots cause organ damage and low red blood cell and platelet counts.

Doctors believe Ms Meredith’s condition was triggered by an autoimmune response to pregnancy.

She was diagnosed with TTP four days after her condition deteriorated and she was rushed by ambulance to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham.

“It escalated so quickly,” she said.

“As soon as I got to A&E there was a doctor waiting for me, so I knew it was serious.”

She received more than 27 bags of fresh frozen plasma to help stabilise her.

Plasma makes up 55% of a person’s blood and contains antibodies, which strengthen or stabilise the immune system.

“I remember getting a leaflet and it said without plasma exchange there is a 90% mortality rate from an acute TTP episode,” she said.

Paula Costin, from Shrewsbury, also said she knew first hand how important these therapies were.

She has blood cancers myeloma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma, which have in turn worsened another condition, called hypogammaglobulinemia, which is a low antibody count.

She said immunoglobulin had given her the chance to try and be more active and “live a little”, after years of being careful due to her illnesses.