Meet a Yellow Duck Lifesaver!

Emma making her first ever blood donation - what a star!
Emma making her first ever blood donation – what a star!

Let me introduce you to one of our Yellow Duck Lifesavers! This is Emma and 4 weeks ago  her 19-month old little girl found a little duck called Marmaduke in the park (now affectionately known as “Waa Wack” by her daughter).

Marmaduke had an effect, a very significant effect.  Emma had always wanted to give blood but had never quite plucked up the courage to do it, since she wasn’t keen on the idea of needles.  After bringing Marmaduke home, Emma decided that she needed to take action and promptly booked an appointment to give blood at her local donation centre.  At her next appointment she will also register as a potential bone marrow donor.

“If it wasn’t for my little one finding one of the ducks I’d never have plucked up the courage to go. It’s my daughter that deserves the thanks as she wouldn’t let me leave the duck behind! She was with my other half while I did it and I got him to sit with me so she can see and grow up seeing it so hopefully she will donate too.

I must admit I nearly chickened out, having someone with me helped. I needed to do this and book in again. I’ve always wanted to. I’m not scared of needles but they aren’t my favourite thing so took a bit of courage”.

Emma’s blood donation took around 10 minutes and will go on to potentially save the lives of up to 3 children or adults. It’s amazing to think that each of us could potentially donate enough blood in our lifetime to save the lives of over 1000 people !

Maisy after her birth (left) and now (right)
Maisy after her birth (left) and now (right)

Click here to read the story of 4-year old Maisy, who is only alive today thanks to blood donors like Emma.  Maisy’s Mum has this to say about those who donated the blood that saved her baby’s life:

“What blood donors do is amazing.  Maisy is our world and we will be forever grateful to the people who donated their blood so that she could live”.

Today we are sending a great big thank you out to Emma for becoming a blood donor, as well as to Marmaduke’s creator (as yet unknown) whose beautiful gift inspired Emma to donate.

3 thoughts on “Meet a Yellow Duck Lifesaver!”

  1. What a beautiful idea. These stories brought tears to my eyes. I have a friend who needs a kidney – guess I better get my needles working!

  2. My daughter and her friend found Moorcroft today on a lovely day out at Trentham gardens. They both fell in love with her as she was purple and pink, soft and squashy. Then with amazing luck we found another one sitting on a bench, so both girls had one each. I cried when I read the website, what an amazing idea, a powerful way to raise awareness and I will be getting my crotchet needles out and joining the campaign. Thank you for our little duck, quack quack xx

  3. With the response on the Forum page for the little yellow duck, and as the maker of “marmaduke”. This is why I and later my husband got involved with this wonderful project:

    Our son suffered from Hemolytic Disease while in the womb, and required three intrauterine blood transfusions before he was born, two full blood exchange transfusions, within the first 36 hours after his birth, plus two top-up blood transfusions in his first few months of life. and while he is now a perfectly healthy 6-footer of 20 years of age, we have never once forgotten that we have long owed his life to blood donors.

    I have for several years given blood (45 pints in total), but have not given recently due to an issue with the last donation. However I now hope to rejoin the blood donation service, and try and get my husband, paul parker to come along with me. Watch this space….

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