
Share
17th August 2017
03:02pm BST

Roger was taken to the Mater Hospital and placed on an urgent schedule of chemotherapy treatment. Time was of the essence and the doctors worked on getting him well enough to handle the bone marrow transplant he needed. His weakened immune system and the cocktail of drugs he was being treated with took their toll as he spent two weeks in the Intensive Care Unit. Roger admits he was "touch and go" during this time.
The blood transfusions he received during this time were vital to keep him alive.
"Because my bone marrow wasn’t functioning properly, I had to get numerous blood donations and platelet donations during my time in the Mater. I would have been getting blood almost daily.
"When the blood comes in you feel much better. It picks you up. I don’t know if some of it is psychological but you definitely feel the benefit of it.
"It made me feel that there were people out there who wanted to help me."
He continued to receive transfusions until November while also receiving a variety of treatments to tackle the leukaemia. As Roger's condition improved, the doctors were able to source a bone marrow donor who was a match. Luckily, the transplant proved to be a success. Roger knows he was lucky to come out the other side and he points out that many of the people he shared a ward with were not so fortunate. He urges people to donate blood and give the gift of life to all sorts of people in need.
"People should definitely consider donations and I say that as a donor and a recipient," he says. "When you’re a donor, you’re in perfect health. It doesn’t hurt and your blood will almost certainly be used. It will probably save somebody’s life, whether it’s something like a car accident or something else. Most donors think it’ll be used for something like an accident. I wouldn’t have thought that cancer patients needed it.
He points out that his wife Lisa rarely misses a chance to donate and that she was recently honoured for making her 50th donation, which is a remarkable achievement. It can be easy to assume that someone else will do it but Roger's story is a reminder of the importance of doing your bit. Blood is badly needed and it's used to treat many people that you wouldn't expect to need it.
"I would have been a healthy young man. People of all walks of life and all ages need blood donations. You never know – it might help your family or friends. It doesn’t hurt to donate. There might be some slight inconvenience. I know it’s hard if you've had a busy day at work but it’s very much appreciated by the people who receive the donation.
"As a donor, you might never know who gets the benefit but it will almost certainly save someone’s life."
When you give blood, you really do help someone in need as 67% of all donated blood is used in cancer treatment, 27% used in emergencies for surgery (especially during cardiac procedures) and 6% saves the lives of premature and new-born babies.
Before you go to a clinic to donate blood, it’s worth taking the eligibility quiz and checking the FAQs on the website. Allow approximately one to two hours for the entire process – the donation part only takes about 10-15 minutes. Most clinics are walk in clinics although we do recommend making an appointment if you're attending D'Olier St, Stillorgan or St Finbarr’s Hospital in Cork.
Brought to you by the Irish Blood Transfusion Service. Explore more on these topics:

Life Style | Joe.ie
life style