Girl wants to raise awareness of plasma donations

5 hours ago

Maisie LillywhiteGloucestershire

Seren has been handing leaflets about blood plasma out to passersby as she walks up hills and mountains

Submitted A young girl with blonde shoulder-length hair smiles as she stands at the top of the Worcestershire Beacon, next to the marker at the top, holding an NHS leaflet with information on about plasma donation. She is giving a thumbs up with her other hand and is wearing a pink beanie hat and a purple coat with unicorns on. — Seren has been handing leaflets about blood plasma out to passersby as she walks up hills and mountains

A young girl is raising awareness of blood plasma donations to help her little brother who relies on them.

Six-year-old Seren from Drybrook, Gloucestershire, has been giving out leaflets about plasma to people she meets and even inspired the leaders of her Rainbows group in Ruardean to donate.

Monty, her four-year-old brother, has Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome, which means his body was unable to produce antibodies before he started receiving immunoglobulin, or antibody, infusions.

The NHS said more than 3,000 patients have received "life-saving" immunoglobulin medicines made from UK-donated plasma since the treatment was rolled out in March 2025.

Sophie, Seren and Monty's mother, said the family were unaware of Monty's condition until he was two.

"Previous to that, he was actually [premature] but he was just poorly all the time with a lot of bronchitis and pneumonia - for the first two years of his life, he spent so much of his time in hospital," she said.

"Eventually, once they kind of diagnosed the genetic condition, they suggested about doing these immunoglobulin infusions."

Sophie said the infusions have made "an absolutely massive difference" to Monty's life, as he can go to nursery now "as normal".

Monty, four, has spent a lot of time in hospital

Submitted A four-year-old boy with blond hair lies in a hospital bed with his hand on a drip. He is beneath a blanket with a stuffed toy lion next to him as he looks at a tablet with a blue protective case on it. — Monty, four, has spent a lot of time in hospital

Seren first became "a bit more aware" of Monty's condition about a year ago, Sophie said.

"She said to me, 'Mummy, even though I hate blood and I'm not really sure, I really would like to help to make Monty's medicine'.

"We had to say, actually, you have to be over 18 to donate, that's kind of when she took it upon herself that she's going to try and get as many people as she can to go and donate."

Ruardean Rainbows said Seren inspired the leaders to travel with her family to donate their blood plasma, and create their own plasma badge and accompanying challenge pack.

Seren has inspired her leaders at Ruardean Rainbows to donate plasma

Submitted A six-year-old girl with blonde hair looks excited as she clings onto a painted lion sculpture and holds onto a "Girlguiding Hero" certificate. She is wearing white tights, a pink glittery skirt, a red zip-up hoodie and a pink fluffy coat. — Seren has inspired her leaders at Ruardean Rainbows to donate plasma

There are three dedicated plasma donation centres in the UK but plasma is also extracted from general blood donations made across the country.

The NHS relied on imported supplies for more than 20 years after the use of UK-donated plasma was banned in 1998 over fears it could transmit variant Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease (vCJD), the human form of "mad cow disease".

Gerry Gogarty, director of blood supply at NHS Blood and Transplant, said more than 758,000 litres of plasma were collected in the first year but the UK is at "23% self-sufficiency for immunoglobulin".

"We are working on expanding our plasma collection programme, and we will continue to grow it, but the most important thing anyone can do to protect those patients is to come forward and donate either blood or plasma."

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