Newbury woman awarded for donating 100 pints of blood – and wants others to join
A Newbury woman has been awarded for donating more than 100 pints of blood.
Sybil Marsh, 68, was presented a certificate for reaching her 100th donation milestone during the pandemic at a ceremony in Marlow on April 30.
She continues to donate blood, and encourages others to do the same.
Last year, NHS Blood and Transplant announced a nationwide push for more donors over 45 to give blood.
Only seven per cent of Britons donate while a further three in 10 no longer do so, according to a YouGov poll from November 2022.
But Mrs Marsh, who has lived Newbury for more than 40 years, followed in her mother’s footsteps and has been donating since she was 18.
She told newburytoday the entire process is simple and less time consuming than people think.
She said: “I would encourage anybody to donate. You don’t need to watch what’s happening.
“Then you can go out feeling maybe one per cent better than when you came in, because you’ve done something good.”
She is sent a text each time she donates, informing her where her blood has been used all over the country.
She told newburytoday despite her number of donations, she feels this is just a drop in the ocean and pales in comparison to other donors she has met.
But if one pint of blood can improve or save up to three lives, then Mrs Marsh has potentially helped up to 450 people, based on women being able to give blood up to three times a year.
She also reflected on how the process has changed over the 50 years she has been giving blood.
She added: “When I first went, you had doctors, nurses and volunteers. It was incredibly regimented.
“You were always finger pricked. They didn’t have, as they do now, a questionnaire.
“And then you were escorted to the bed you were going to be donating from.
“The doctor would come and clean your arm, put your cuff on, do all the checks, do the needle insertion.
“You were given a rolled up newspaper to clench and then when you finished, you were escorted to a day bed.
“After 15 minutes, you were roused from your slumbers, because most of us fell asleep, and encourage to go and have tea and a biscuit.”
She continued: “Gradually, over the years, the doctors seemed to disappear.
“And now, they have this special bed they lay you back on as you’re donating.
“You’re encouraged to move all your muscles. You can feel the motion of it, because it rocks your blood.”
With a background in retail before she retired, Mrs Marsh used to donate on her lunch break at pop-up centres all over the district. Now appointments must be made.
Approximately 470ml of blood is collected during each donation (just under a pint).
Women can give blood up to three times a year. Pregnant women cannot donate and must wait until six months have passed after their pregnancy.
Men can donate a minimum of four times a year, as they generally have higher iron levels than women.
Visit https://www.blood.co.uk/who-can-give-blood/ to read the full edibility criteria and to sign up to donate.