Lorna Newbrook says: ‘It was incomprehensible that something like this could happen. Mike was a 6ft 4in policeman in the riot squad… he was one of life’s good guys’
A grieving wife has launched a campaign to encourage people to give blood in memory of her husband.
Lorna Newbrook’s husband Mike, a Met police officer, died last July aged 46 after being diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia. Lorna says the frequent blood transfusions Mike received extended his life by 16 months, enabling him to make precious memories with their sons Joseph, seven, and six-year-old Lucas.
More than 200 friends and family members have already donated a ‘Pint for Mike’ and Lorna now hopes to inspire the wider public to join them. It comes after the Mirror revealed the worst ever NHS blood shortage has come to an end.
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The Mirror today reveals her inspiring appeal as part of our Give a Pint, Save a Life campaign. Lorna has filmed an appeal video with NHS Blood and Transplant also featuring England rugby captain Maro Itoje and TV presenter Michaela Strachan.
Lorna, 42, from Orpington, Kent, said: “Mike and I had been together since I was 25 and we were so happy. With our boys, we had everything we could wish for. But in early 2023 Mike noticed something was wrong.
“He kept getting infections and one day while putting fences up in the garden he became unusually breathless. A blood test showed he was very anaemic and needed an immediate blood transfusion. Leukaemia was confirmed the next day.
“It was incomprehensible that something like this could happen. Mike was fit and vibrant, a 6ft 4in policeman. He was in the riot squad and had served in the Navy. He was one of life’s good guys.
“The leukaemia was an incredibly aggressive kind, and Mike lost three stone and all his hair. Without blood transfusions he wouldn’t have lived beyond his diagnosis. He received more than 100 units of blood products to help his body cope with the chemotherapy, and I will be forever indebted to those donors.”
The NHS has recently stood down its worst ever blood shortage. The NHS leadership last month wrote to hospital bosses to stand down its longest ever Amber Alert which has been in place due to dangerously low blood stocks for almost a year. However NHS chiefs insist a blood donation only lasts for about a month and so a constant supply of regular donors is essential for the health service.
Lorna said: “It has been a year since we lost Mike, so the timing is poignant. But it feels the right time to share his story with a wider audience to shine a light on the lifechanging power of blood donation.
“I have pledged to do a skydive when we reach 1,000 pints and I’m hopeful the campaign will continue to grow and reach many milestones beyond that.”
“The NHS needs regular donors so once people have donated their ‘pint’ I hope they become donors for life and go on to save and improve even more lives. That would be the most wonderful legacy for Mike.”
Lorna, a former deputy headteacher who works in education, is encouraging young people to start donating at 17 to help replace those who are too old or can no longer donate for medical reasons. She has created an educational resource pack to take the blood donation message directly to high school students.
Lorna said: “After Mike died I knew I had to do something positive in his memory and encouraging people to give blood felt right. I started by asking friends and family on social media to give a ‘pint’ in Mike’s name and it grew from there. Young people are eligible to donate from age 17 but very few do. I think we need a cultural shift. It is important because young people are the donors of the future.”
Most available blood donation slots are at larger town and city centres. NHS Blood and Transplant says it has 55,000 appointments to fill at donor centres in England over the next six weeks.
To register as a blood donor with the NHS you can sign up online through the NHS Give Blood website or by downloading the NHS Give Blood app. You can also sign up by calling 0300 123 23 23. Once registered, you can book your appointment online, through the app or by calling.