I was in a blood donation advert 60 years ago...I was amazed to see myself!

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A woman who was saved by a blood transfusion as a baby was 'amazed' to see herself in an NHS advert for blood donors, which was recorded 60 years ago!  Margaret ‘Maggie’ Hackney received an exchange blood transfusion as a newborn to treat Rhesus disease.  Maggie went to star in the 1966 blood donation film ‘The Givers’ as a 17-year-old.  NHS Blood and Transplant has shown her the footage for the first time, as she backs their campaign to give blood this Christmas.

Transcript

00:00Margaret Brooker is alive today because of a remarkable advance in medicine.

00:16Watching the Look at Life film after 60 years was amazing to watch.

00:23She was one of the first babies in Britain to have her blood completely changed

00:27as a result of the National Blood Transfusion Service, which is now itself coming of age.

00:33I remember clearly as if it was yesterday, the filming.

00:37I was 17 and really nervous.

00:40The local swimming pool, I was worried about seeing people I knew,

00:44but actually the people that were asked to join in the film were people I didn't know,

00:50but they ended up as friends afterwards.

00:53I went to the cinema on more than one occasion to watch myself.

00:58Today, she's a dental nurse and as fit as any girl.

01:03I will never be able to thank the NHS Blood Service enough

01:07for giving me a better chance of survival as a newborn baby.

01:12I was an enthusiastic blood donor for many years,

01:15and apart from having a break to have my three wonderful children,

01:19I was a regular donor with a significant amount of donations over the years.

01:24I've helped recruit new young blood donors

01:27and only recently retired after 40 years of teaching fitness.

01:32The film was so interesting, I remember it as if it was yesterday.

01:36I can remember it in great detail,

01:39and the advances in science over the past 75 years have been extraordinary.

01:47Every day, this sort of thing is happening up and down the country,

01:51the setting up of a blood donor session.

01:53I'd like to give a huge thank you to all the blood donors past and present.

01:59All kinds of people from 18 to 65 give their blood.

02:03Mrs Caroline Gorman wears the gold medal, awarded for giving 50 or more pints.

02:08To those people who have not considered donating blood,

02:12who might have concerns about it, let me reassure you,

02:16the wonderful teams who run these blood donation sessions are friendly and professional.

02:22They will understand if you have concerns about becoming a donor

02:26and answer all your questions.

02:28The Blood Service needs more donors right now,

02:32so please volunteer if you are fit and well.

02:35You never know, someone you love might need blood one day.

02:41Thousands of people who owe their lives and health today

02:45to the skill and devotion of doctors and nurses

02:48are equally indebted to the one and a quarter million men and women

02:52who give some of their own life blood so that others may also live.

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