For more than three decades Martin Cockcroft regularly gave three blood donations a year.
But the 57-year-old from Dundee never imagined that one day blood donors would end up saving his life.
He ended up being given nine to 12 units of blood at Ninewells Hospital after an aneurysm burst in the artery of his abdomen (mesenteric artery aneurysm).
Today, the dad-of-four is very grateful for the lifesaving blood donations he received.
“I am extremely lucky to be alive,” he says.
“Medics said had I arrived a few minutes later in A&E I might have lost so much blood that I might not have survived.
“It was a very close call.”
This is why he is supporting The Courier’s Be Our Blood campaign where we are asking people across Tayside, Fife and Stirling to register here and become a donor.
Every blood donation can save up to three lives, but currently less than 3% of eligible people in Scotland give blood.
The Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service needs 500 more people become a donor in our area this year.
Martin is just one example of the many lives which have been saved thanks to blood donors.
Here is his story.
When did Martin start giving blood?
Martin was a student at Dundee University in the late 1980s when he gave his first blood donation.
During our phone interview he tells me what prompted him to take part in a session.
“I was studying microbiology at the school of biology and it was the first time I had come across the concept of blood donation,” he explains.
“I knew a bit about it from school but this was the first time I had actually seen a blood donation session happening.
“The blood donation people were all set up inside the Bonner Hall and I remember thinking it was a really worthwhile thing to do.
“At the time I didn’t have a lot of experience with needles, but after having a vaccination I wasn’t that keen on it.
“But I thought maybe if I gave blood I might get used to needles so vaccinations in future might not be so bad.”
So the next time he saw a mobile unit at the university he went along and signed up.
“It went very well.
“And I was very much struck by how friendly everybody was.
“The staff were also really nice and helpful.
“Afterwards I thought there is nothing to stop me carrying on donating – and I have done it ever since.”
‘The pain just got rapidly worse’
Martin now works as a technical operations manager in the school of biology at St Andrews University.
He is also a member of the multi-role medical regiment in the Army Reserve.
Since his late teens he has continued to give blood regularly three times a year.
In total he has made 86 donations.
And he was planning to continue doing so – until he experienced a life-threatening situation in June last year.
“I was busy hoovering out the footwell of my car when suddenly I felt this sharp pain across my stomach,” he explains.
“I thought where has this come from and what the hell have I eaten?
“And then the pain just got rapidly worse.”
A blue-light trip to Ninewells Hospital
Martin’s wife Chloë, 54, who fortunately worked as a nurse at Ninewells Hospital, told him to lie down while she made him some fruit tea to drink as it might help.
He continues: “She appeared at the bedroom door about five minutes later with a cup of fruit tea and said ‘I will be back in a minute’.
“Then calmly she went downstairs and phoned an ambulance.
“She suspected what it was immediately.
“When the paramedics arrived she told them I was bleeding internally and that I should be taken to Ninewells straight away.
“Basically an artery in my abdomen had split and my pelvis was filling up with blood.
“I was going paler and paler due to less blood being left in the vein.
“And I was also starting to go in and out of consciousness.
“My son Angus, who was 14, was outside on the pavement ready to wave down the ambulance so the paramedics would know where to go.
“Everybody was amazing.”
Martin was then blue-lighted to hospital.
‘The artery in my abdomen had split’
At Ninewells Hospital, Martin had to undergo emergency surgery to repair the hole in his artery after the aneurysm.
“The artery in my abdomen had split. Instead of flowing through the artery it just started squirting out through the split.
“So the surgeons had to put a stent into the artery to cover up the hole.
“Once that was done they had to replace the blood which had been lost from my circulatory system,” he explains.
“I was given around nine to 12 units of blood which is a lot. I probably depleted their stocks a bit that afternoon.”
After the operation Martin woke up in the high dependency unit.
“My stay there wasn’t long though – I was there for less than 24 hours before being moved into an intensive care ward for a day or two.”
Martin was still drifting in and out of consciousness after the operation but he remembers feeling surprisingly calm.
“I was in really good hands,” he says.
“There was no feeling of panic. I was just lying there thinking I am still here. I wasn’t aware of just how close things were.”
While the surgery was a success, doctors were concerned about some of his intestines and kidneys, which had been without blood for several hours.
But they continually monitored him and did tests over the following week.
And eventually his body healed with everything going back to normal.
Plans to become a blood bike rider
After taking some time to recover, Martin had been hoping to give blood again. But he discovered that after receiving blood transfusions he is no longer eligible.
So instead he is now planning to join Blood Bikes Scotland – an independent charity separate from the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service.
“I was really disappointed,” he says.
“But I still want to give back so I have a plan. I am a motorcyclist and have been taking lessons with the Institute of Advanced motorists.
“And if I manage to pass the advanced test I can become the rider of a blood bike.
“I thought if I can’t continue to donate blood, I can still help out by becoming involved in the blood bike system.”
Martin is very thankful for the support of his family who have helped him through his recovery.
“I am very grateful for the actions of my wife that day – along with that of the NHS staff at Ninewells.
“Everybody has been amazing.”
Encouraging others to give blood
Martin is now encouraging others to take up the mantle and donate blood if they are able to.
“If it weren’t for people giving blood, lives like mine would not be saved.
“This is why it is so important for people to volunteer.
“I am quite privileged to sit here now and it almost feels like it never happened.”
The Dundee dad adds: “I wouldn’t be here today without blood donations – I am extremely lucky.”
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