Rob: "You never know when you might need it"

I was a blood donor from the age of 17 and, being O-, I was very popular. Over the ensuing years I made 72 donations and had an aim of getting to 100.

Unfortunately, tests made after one of my donations led to a diagnosis of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia and I was honourably discharged from the Blood Service in 2001.

Since then, I've had two bouts of auto-immune haemolytic anaemia (my immune system attacks my red blood cells) and I've received 14 blood transfusions plus an additional 25 or so Intragam®P infusions (a plasma by-product) and I'm in reasonable shape today.

I urge more people to consider becoming a blood donor. You never know when you might be on the receiving end!

- Rob Crozier