Luke given gift of life - drip by drip

Apr 2 2007 By Alison Dayani, Birmingham Mail

BATTLING babe Luke Joeres gurgles in excitement as he celebrates his second momentous birthday.

For it is only thanks to the kindness of strangers that little Luke is now an adventurous cheeky toddler, bubbling over with all of life's spirit.

Luke, of Avery Road, Sutton Coldfield, was born with his twin Carl two months premature, weighing just 1lb 12oz, and only survived thanks to FIVE transfusions using blood from donors.

Parents Lucy and Christian Joeres, who had to watch Luke's twin develop a bleed on the brain and die while Luke recovered, are now blood donors themselves and have urged others to help give the gift of life this Easter.

"Luke turns two today and it's amazing because I thought he would never come out of hospital," said mum-of-two Lucy, a 32-year-old part-time solicitor.

"Luke would go so pale when the oxygen levels in his blood dropped and the machine he was strapped to would bleep away.

"But the nurses would ring for blood supplies and once they gave them to Luke, he would perk up and we could see the colour in him change. Blood would arrive sometimes within 30 minutes and we now realise just how important it is to give blood.

"Without it, Luke would have died and he is such a cheeky, happy boy now, so full of life."

Lucy, who lives with 33-year-old IT salesman husband Christian and three-year-old son Daniel, has even arranged mobile blood donor sessions at West Bromwich Police Station, where she works.

Jayne Harmon, from the National Blood Service, said bank holidays such as Easter were a difficult time as stock levels for blood and platelets, a part of a blood cell, dwindle due to their limited shelf life.

"We need as many people as possible to donate and save people like Luke," said Jayne.

Blood supplies are used to help patients from those in accidents to premature babies and people undergoing operations.

Platelets are needed by young and old cancer or leukaemia patients undergoing chemotherapy and a single donor can give enough platelets for three adult doses or up to 12 small doses or platelets for children.

To become a blood donor, you need to be aged between 17 and 59, weigh over 7st 12lb and are in good health.

Book an appointment with the National Blood Service on 0845 7 711 711.