Aberystwyth Town footballer and mother-of-three Jessica Baker will celebrate Mother’s Day with her son, thanks to receiving vital blood transfusions during childbirth.
Jessica lost around 30% of her own blood during the birth of her son Connor seven years ago and required several emergency blood transfusions at Bronglais General Hospital, Aberystwyth.
As a result of receiving blood, Jessica is now unable to donate herself, which is why she is eager to share her story and raise awareness of the importance of blood donation.
Jessica explains “Mother’s Day is a very special day for me. I am here today because of the lifesaving blood transfusions I received when my son was born. Donating blood is such a kind thing to do and I will always be grateful to those who helped me.
“I want to share my story and raise awareness that blood donors are always needed to save people’s lives, and I am proof of this. Because of blood donors, I was able to make a full recovery. Now I go about my day and play football with my son like nothing ever happened.
“Seeing Connor growing up and being selected for the under-eights academy team was one of the proudest moments of my life. I would encourage anyone thinking of donating to do it. It saves lives.”
Blood and its by-products play a vital role in saving lives, including helping accident and emergency victims, patients receiving organ transplants, mothers and babies during childbirth and cancer patients as part of their chemotherapy treatment.
The Welsh Blood Service aims to collect approximately 100,000 blood donations from around 70,000 volunteer donors each year. To help encourage more people in Wales to donate, the Welsh Blood Service has several initiatives, including a partnership with the FAW’s JD Cymru Leagues and Genero Adran Leagues. Their ‘Blood, Sweat and Cheers’ campaign intends to help towards Welsh Blood Service’s goal of introducing 11,000 new blood donors in 2022.
Director of the Welsh Blood Service, Alan Prosser said “Stories like Jessica’s are unfortunately far too common and a clear example of why blood donations are so important. To put it simply, there are no substitutes for blood.
“Each day, we need to collect around 350 blood donations to supply 20 hospitals with enough blood and blood products for patients in need. Having the support of clubs, players like Jessica and fans has helped us towards these figures, but we need more people to join our team of lifesavers.
“If you’ve ever thought about giving blood, now is a great time to try. Thanks to those who have taken the time to donate, more sons, daughters and loved ones in Wales will be able to celebrate Mother’s Day together.”
