Daniel Gourley’s story about his daughter Georgia and Granda Desie:
Desie was diagnosed with myelodysplasia about 18 months ago that has since progressed to acute myeloid Leukaemia. He has been receiving blood and platelet transfusions for a year and a half. Recently he has been requiring weekly transfusions at the McDermott Unit under the great care of Dr El Agnaf. Desie donated blood in the past and is group O negative.
It was O negative blood that saved baby Georgia’s life, immediately after being born by emergency C Section on 17/5/2017. Georgia received a second blood transfusion soon after, as she was born with a blood count of only 4. Quite a miracle she survived. Georgia suffered from a rare condition called feto-maternal haemorrhage meaning she was losing blood back into her mother whilst in the womb. Georgia was expertly treated in the neo-natal intensive care unit in the Ulster Hospital by a fantastic team led by Dr Saxena.
Thank you to all donors and the blood transfusion service. Our family are so grateful.