Dad who nearly died supports blood donation

A campaign to encourage more people to donate blood has been backed by an Ossett dad who nearly died following complications from an elbow infection.

NHS Blood and Transplant has launched the Missing Type campaign which will see As, Bs and Os - the letters of the main blood groups - disappearing in everyday locations and from various brands and organisations’ websites.

The missing letters will highlight the need for new donors with those blood types.

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It is being supported by 43-year-old David Liddle, an IT consultant who contracted an infection caused by wear and tear on his elbow from spending too much time leaning on his desk at work.

Mr Liddle had a severe reaction to ibuprofen, causing tiny ulcers to form in his stomach and, when one of those burst, it ruptured a blood vessel. He suffered a serious internal bleed and needed 14 units of blood and emergency surgery to save his life. He said: “It was the scariest experience of my life. I am only able to tell my story due to the skill and dedication of the surgical team involved and the fact people took the time to go and donate blood. I urge people to support Missing Type by registering as new donors.”

The campaign has been launched in partnership with 25 blood donor organisations across 21 countries to highlight an almost 30 per cent international drop in people becoming donors last year compared to a decade ago. It is hoped the initiative will also encourage more young donors, as last year in Wakefield just 11.1 percent of donors were aged 17 to 24, Visit www.blood.co.uk or call 0300 1232323.

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