• last month
A woman who was saved by a blood transfusion as a baby was 'amazed' to see herself in an NHS advert for blood donors, which was recorded 60 years ago!

Margaret ‘Maggie’ Hackney received an exchange blood transfusion as a newborn to treat Rhesus disease.

Maggie went to star in the 1966 blood donation film ‘The Givers’ as a 17-year-old.

NHS Blood and Transplant has shown her the footage for the first time, as she backs their campaign to give blood this Christmas.

Category

🗞
News
Transcript
00:00Margaret Brooker is alive today because of a remarkable advance in medicine.
00:16Watching the Look at Life film after 60 years was amazing to watch.
00:23She was one of the first babies in Britain to have her blood completely changed
00:27as a result of the National Blood Transfusion Service, which is now itself coming of age.
00:33I remember clearly as if it was yesterday, the filming.
00:37I was 17 and really nervous.
00:40The local swimming pool, I was worried about seeing people I knew,
00:44but actually the people that were asked to join in the film were people I didn't know,
00:50but they ended up as friends afterwards.
00:53I went to the cinema on more than one occasion to watch myself.
00:58Today, she's a dental nurse and as fit as any girl.
01:03I will never be able to thank the NHS Blood Service enough
01:07for giving me a better chance of survival as a newborn baby.
01:12I was an enthusiastic blood donor for many years,
01:15and apart from having a break to have my three wonderful children,
01:19I was a regular donor with a significant amount of donations over the years.
01:24I've helped recruit new young blood donors
01:27and only recently retired after 40 years of teaching fitness.
01:32The film was so interesting, I remember it as if it was yesterday.
01:36I can remember it in great detail,
01:39and the advances in science over the past 75 years have been extraordinary.
01:47Every day, this sort of thing is happening up and down the country,
01:51the setting up of a blood donor session.
01:53I'd like to give a huge thank you to all the blood donors past and present.
01:59All kinds of people from 18 to 65 give their blood.
02:03Mrs Caroline Gorman wears the gold medal, awarded for giving 50 or more pints.
02:08To those people who have not considered donating blood,
02:12who might have concerns about it, let me reassure you,
02:16the wonderful teams who run these blood donation sessions are friendly and professional.
02:22They will understand if you have concerns about becoming a donor
02:26and answer all your questions.
02:28The Blood Service needs more donors right now,
02:32so please volunteer if you are fit and well.
02:35You never know, someone you love might need blood one day.
02:41Thousands of people who owe their lives and health today
02:45to the skill and devotion of doctors and nurses
02:48are equally indebted to the one and a quarter million men and women
02:52who give some of their own life blood so that others may also live.

Recommended