Hi, I am Laura.
I am 36 and I currently work as the Admin Officer at Granville Respite.
Around 18 months ago, I was watching Granada reports and saw a lovely video of someone who had met their stem cell donor for the first time, it was very emotional as the stem cell donor had saved this person’s life by donating! This instantly made me decide I wanted to become a stem cell donor and help save people’s lives.
I started by applying to be a blood donor, I gave blood for the first time in January 2023, the process was simple and easy. I have since found out I have a rare sub type of blood which is RO, I am o positive, and this makes it more difficult to find a match. Knowing I have a rare blood type, makes me want to help others even more so, and made me realise how important blood donating is. I will definitely be donating again as only 2% of people with my rare blood type donate and 15% of people are in need of it.
To become a stem cell donor, you must have BMI under 40, you also can’t have any physical or mental health issues. My aim is to become a stem cell donor by June 2024, I have set a date to help keep me motivated, encourage me to lower my BMI, eat healthily and keep active to ensure I can achieve my goal and help those who need it.
For the last year, I have been on slimming world with my Dad. It has changed my life! I love it and it is even better because my Dad does all the cooking! We have curries, pizza’s, everything and anything, but the healthy version! During the lighter nights, I enjoy walking my dog to get some fresh air and get my steps in, and I am planning to take part in some fundraising challenges with Aspire this year too.
I am really proud of becoming a blood donor this year, so I am excited for this journey and looking forward to being a stem cell donor.
Thank you for reading Laura’s aspiration blog, make sure to check in next year to read about Laura’s journey about becoming a stem donor. For more information about registering to become a blood donor, please visit Home – NHS Blood Donation
