Blood donors urgently needed in Flintshire this June

The Welsh Blood Service has issued an urgent appeal for blood donors in Flintshire, with over 170 appointments remaining unfilled across Connah’s Quay, Buckley and Mancot for the month of June.

The service is calling on residents, particularly first-time donors, to step forward and help meet vital hospital demand. Every blood donation has the potential to save up to three lives or the lives of six babies.

A dedicated local booking link – https://wbs.wales/DeesideNews – has been set up for people in the Deeside area.

Helen Wynne from the Welsh Blood Service said: “Every share helps save lives as you encourage new blood donors. Every donation saves three lives or the lives of six babies, which is an incredible gift.”

National Blood Donor Week, running from 9–15 June, is highlighting the importance of donation through real-life stories, including that of seven-year-old Jasper Hodgson-Smith from Swansea, who was diagnosed with a rare blood disorder and successfully treated thanks to stem cell and blood donations.

Jasper’s father Matt was identified as a perfect stem cell match and donated through a process known as peripheral blood stem cell transplantation.

“Some people think donating stem cells may be painful or invasive. For me, the process was simple. I would do it again in a heartbeat if it meant saving someone’s life,” Matt said.

Jasper’s treatment also required blood and platelet transfusions and chemotherapy before his transplant. The family is now encouraging more people to consider donating.

Just three per cent of eligible people in Wales currently donate blood, while the Welsh Blood Service must collect around 350 donations each day to meet demand for the 19 hospitals it supplies.

Alan Prosser, Director of the Welsh Blood Service, said: “Sharing stories like Jasper’s highlights the true value of donation and the difference it makes to patients and their families. This National Blood Donor Week, there has never been a better time to sign up and join our incredible community of lifesavers here in Wales.”

To learn more or book a donation, visit www.wbs.wales/NBDW25 or call 0800 252 266.