My 17-year-old son was violently assaulted in Manchester and needed 16 blood donors
Sarah never imagined she would need the NHS Blood and Transplant service. One evening, her 17-year-old son was violently assaulted and rushed to Manchester Royal Infirmary with life-threatening injuries.
One evening, her 17-year-old son was violently assaulted and rushed to Manchester Royal Infirmary with life-threatening injuries. By the time he reached hospital, he had lost so much blood that his life depended on immediate transfusions.
In total, he received 16 units of blood from 16 different donors, blood that kept him alive long enough to reach surgery, be stabilised in intensive care and begin his road to a full recovery.
For Sarah, the experience was devastating. As a mother, she was suddenly faced with the unthinkable, waiting to find out whether her child would live. What sustained him in those critical hours was not technology or medication alone, but the generosity of strangers who had donated blood, often without ever knowing who it might help.
“Nothing prepares you for that phone call,” Sarah says. “It’s bad enough knowing your child has been seriously hurt. It’s impossible to imagine losing them because the blood simply wasn’t there.” That moment changed everything.
Today, Sarah is a regular blood donor and a committed advocate for NHS Blood and Transplant. She actively promotes blood donation through her workplace, supports blood drives, and speaks openly about her experience to encourage others to step forward.
Her husband, family members and wider network now donate too, inspired by the knowledge that 16 people helped save her son’s life.
Sarah believes blood donation is one of the simplest, most powerful ways we can protect one another. “You can’t put a value on human life,” she says. “Every life matters equally. Blood donation is how we make sure help is there when the unimaginable happens.”
For Sarah, donating blood is no longer an abstract good. It is personal. It is lifesaving. And it is something she believes we all have a part to play in.
NHS Blood and Transplant will run free drop‑in blood‑typing events giving people an easy, accessible way to start their donor journey (no donation is required on the day - just a quick finger‑prick test and registration for those eligible).
Drop in event details:
Location: The Trafford Centre, The Orient Food Court
Friday 6 February | 10.30am – 9pmSaturday 7 February | 1pm – 9pmSunday 8 February | 12noon – 6pm
Location: Manchester Arndale, Lower Mall, Outside Next
Monday 2 March – Sunday 8 March | 9am - 8pm