Blood donors strike gold in Ballymena

Some 159 blood donors were on the invitation list to attend the celebratory event, each one of them special, having donated a minimum of 50 times, earning them their gold badge.

Those donors will have helped save over an incredible four thousand lives.

Spokesperson for the Northern Ireland Blood Transfusion Service, Paul McElkerney, said: “It is amazing the amount of lives these donors have helped save and we very much welcome the opportunity to thank them.

“Among the recipients of their life saving donations will have been children with leukaemia, mothers during childbirth, people undergoing routine surgery and those with cancer.”

A special guest on the night was Stephen Cunning from Dunloy who, after a horrific motorcycle accident, suffered multiple injuries including broken legs, arms, ribs, punctured lungs and a ruptured spleen.

Stephen, who attended to personally thank his blood donors, received 22 units of blood, and this undoubtedly helped save his life.

As some of these donors may no longer be eligible to donate and the Northern Ireland Blood Transfusion Service is appealing for new donors to come forward to replace them.

You can enrol to give blood at 16 and you can donate for the first time between the ages of 17 anmd 65/

To enrol as a blood donor you can text the word blood to 60081 or, for any other information, you can contact the Service by calling 0500 534 666 or by visiting www.nibts.org.