MK Today - Friday 17th March 2023

1.20pm Thursday 16^th March 2023. To say that I am writing these words ahead of MK Today’s edition for next Friday would be inaccurate. I am actually composing them in my head as I lay back on the blood donation bench while a pint of the red stuff is extracted from my arm. This is my thirty-eight donation and has been subject to a bit of a muddle.

The donation session should have been early January but following my accident and broken arm it had to be postponed. I should then have been laying back on a donation bed in the beautiful location of Christ The Cornerstone in Central Milton Keynes. Christ The Cornerstone where I always donate blood, the first purpose built ecumenical church in the country. In my book Milton Keynes The City of Legend I speak about Milton Keynes being the collective noun for a group of cathedrals. Faith, not the faith. I find those words rather special.

It was His Majesty King Charles III who put faith before the faith. When His Majesty is visied Central Milton Keynes it was to the beautiful Christ The Cornerstone he chose to celebrate the city charter bestowed within his mother’s Platinum Jubilee upon Milton Keynes. I was obliged to change my donation date again.

So here I am now on Thursday 16^th March, a line is in my arm and drawing blood. Blood which will help to save someone’s life.

Just a mile or so away from where I am now there is University Hospital Milton Keynes. That, of course, is not the real name of our City’s hospital but its letterhead and noticeboard are not large enough to accommodate Fantastic Amazing Beautiful Loving University Hospital Milton Keynes.  How many pints of blood does our hospital use every year to treat its patients ? Do you know ? The answer is SIX THOUSAND. That is, in round figures, seventeen pints a day.

Within my writing I hope the most read feature I have ever penned is MEET A COWARD. This is included in: Our Rebekah A Love Story From Our NHS, NHS – NATIONAL HAPPY SMILE and MILTON KEYNES THE CITY OF LEGEND. I tell of how in my arrogant youth I refused to

be a blood donor, refused because I was too scared to have a needle stick in my arm. Trust me it does not hurt. I seek every opportunity I can to spread the shame of my cowardice and encourage people to donate blood. Today is my 38^th donation, if I had not been such a miserable coward all those years ago it would be my 178^th !

I believe that everything in life needs to be up close and personal, you can’t get much more up close and personal than someone sicking a needle in you arm (Honestly) it does not hurt and drawing off a pint of the red stuff. But that is speaking from a physical perspective. Attending a blood donor session could so easily be like sitting on a conveyor belt but that is not how it is, the lovely NHS staff manning the donation session take the blood with love and treat each donor in a special personal way.

Within my writing about blood donation I have coined the phrase: Donate a pint of blood but give it with a gallon of love. Laying back here on the donation bed, actually it is more of a reclining chair, I am closing my eyes and thinking of the person who will receive my blood.

Up close and personal: That’s an elaborate way of saying LOVE.  The love I received on my thirty-eight donation, love from the incredible staff manning Christ The Cornerstone has injected love into every spot of blood leaving my arm. Yes I donated a pint of blood and I gave it with a gallon of love but the staff have added a tanker of beauty.

So now typing up these thoughts ready for my blood to find its way to a patient I am thinking who that person will be. Of course confidentiality will not tell me who received my blood but I will be told the hospital which receives it to care for a patient.

I have just booked my next donation appointment. Thursday 8^th June at 12.35pm, again at Christ The Cornerstone.

Are you a blood donor ? Get your love ready and sign up now: www.blood.co.uk