Kenilworth blood donors honoured for their long-term generosity

Four veteran blood donors from Kenilworth were rewarded for their generosity with medals at a recent ceremony.
From left to right: Malcolm Corbett, 70, 102 donations; Anne Brookes, 75, 103 donations; Hilary Naughton, 71, 105 donations; Barry Elkington, 60, 102 donations.From left to right: Malcolm Corbett, 70, 102 donations; Anne Brookes, 75, 103 donations; Hilary Naughton, 71, 105 donations; Barry Elkington, 60, 102 donations.
From left to right: Malcolm Corbett, 70, 102 donations; Anne Brookes, 75, 103 donations; Hilary Naughton, 71, 105 donations; Barry Elkington, 60, 102 donations.

Anne Brookes, Malcolm Corbett, Barry Elkington and Hilary Naughton have made 412 donations between them and are estimated to have saved over 1,000 lives thanks to their actions.

They joined 33 other blood donors from across Coventry and Warwickshire at the ceremony at Coombe Abbey in Coventry. All those at the ceremony had donated on at least 100 occasions.

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Barry, 60, has been donating blood for over 40 years after deciding to follow in his mother’s footsteps.

He said: “Giving blood takes very little time and helps others. We will never know who it helps but my mother developed multiple myeloma later in her life and required blood transfusions to keep her going.”

And Hilary, 71, has been giving blood for over 47 years for similar reasons.

She said: “Giving blood takes very little time or effort but has far reaching results.”

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Their achievement is particularly impressive since just one per cent of blood donors reach 100 donations or more.

Guest speaker Pat Parham, from Leamington, thanked the donors for the blood donations that helped her twin granddaughters survive after being born three months prematurely.

Her granddaughters Daisy and Esme spent three months in intensive care with Esme receiving blood at just two hours old to keep her alive.

Pat said: “Daisy and Esme were very tiny and poorly when they were born. As a mother and grandmother I hardly dare breathe when I saw those two scraps of life two hours after they were born.

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“The memory of them wrapped in what looked like polythene bags is not one I treasure.

But now I delight in my beautiful granddaughters - they fill my heart with joy and this would not have been possible without the generosity of blood donors.

“It is not just the recipients who benefit from blood donations but family members and friends also. We should not take for granted what the act of giving blood means.”

Karen Healy, Senior Marketing Coordinator at NHS Blood and Transplant, said: “These loyal donors are very special to us, which is why such an event gives us the opportunity to say a real heartfelt thanks.

“They have saved over a thousand lives and improved the lives of countless others who have required blood transfusions. These donors are an inspiration to us all.”

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