Bus Aunty joins urgent appeal for blood as Black donor stocks run low
A double decker campaign is calling for Black heritage blood donors to help people living with sickle cell as they are ten times more likely to have the Ro subtype than the white population.
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Bus Aunty joins urgent appeal for blood as Black donor stocks run low
The winter season sees shortfall in blood donations due to cold weather, winter illness and the holiday getaways which mean many donation appointments go unfilled.
STORY BY MELISSA SIGODO
NOVEMBER 28
Tiktok star Bus Aunty has joined an urgent appeal for blood donations as vital stocks from Black heritage donors run “particularly low.”
Bemi Orojuogun known as “Bus Aunty” found success after filming selfie videos in front of London’s red buses, racking up over 50 million views on TikTok, leading her to collaborations with Ikea, Transport for London and Burberry.
Now, the NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) has launched an appeal where three iconic double decker buses have been specially wrapped and emblazoned with a message urging Londoners to donate blood.
Alongside the TikTok star, London’s Deputy Mayor Dr Debbie Weekes-Bernard and sickle cell campaigner Simply Sayo are also backing the appeal which saw them hop on board one of the London buses to kick off the campaign.
The other two buses which feature the NHSBT’s statistic that London’s hospitals need one donation of blood every 90 seconds to meet the need of patients, will travel on routes near three major blood donor centres in Brixton, Bow and Shepherd’s Bush into December.
Across London there are more than 3,000 eligible Ro donors needed to help patients with sickle cell, who haven’t made an appointment in the past year.
Black heritage blood donors are ten times more likely than white donors to have the subtype, and the winter season sees shortfall in blood donations due to cold weather, winter illness and the holiday getaways which mean many donation appointments go unfilled.
London Deputy Mayor for Communities and Social Justice, Dr Debbie Weekes-Bernard said:
“As the capital’s healthcare services face the pressures of winter, I’m urging Londoners to step forward and give blood. Donating is quick, easy and painless, and this simple act of generosity can quite literally save lives.
“With so many appointments still unfilled, we need more people to see just how vital their contribution is – and we need donations from Londoners of Black heritage, which are particularly low, to help patients with sickle cell.
“I’m proud to stand with NHS Blood and Transplant as we build a better, healthier London for everyone, and I hope all eligible will consider rolling up their sleeves and joining me.”
Recipients of blood donations whose lives have been saved or improved also joined the campaign’s inaugural bus journey which stopped at the Brixton blood donor centre.
The deputy mayor who has the urgently needed Ro blood subtype took the opportunity to also make her own blood donation.
Social media influencer Adesayo Talabi, who goes by the name Simply Sayo has partnered with NHSBT to launch a year-long campaign to recruit 16,000 additional Black heritage blood donors to help people living with sickle cell.
The campaigner lost two of her sisters to sickle cell and says she is focussed on using her platform to mobilise Black communities to become blood donors.
Over the next six weeks there are more than 23,000 unfilled blood donation appointments in London, with the capital accounting for just under half (42%) of all unfilled slots across England.
Any shortfall in donations will hit London particularly hard, as its hospitals use the lion’s share of blood collected across England.
NHS Blood and Transplant data shows that one in every four blood donations used by the NHS in England last year went to hospitals in London. That’s 921 lifesaving units every day, or one every 90 seconds.
The NHSBT hopes that the buses will inspire people to donate blood and raise awareness of the critical need during the challenging winter months.
NHSBT Director of Donor Experience Mark Chambers said: “The winter period is a challenging time for the hospitals and emergency services who rely on a stable supply of blood to treat patients.
“With more than 23,000 appointments available to book across London over the next six weeks, we are urging those with the Ro, O negative and B negative blood type to come in and donate. If you can’t see an available appointment on our site, call us and we will find you one.
“Londoners can do something truly amazing this winter by making a blood donation. Each donation has the potential to save or improve the lives of three adults, or six children.
“Book a blood donation appointment today at www.blood.co.uk, by downloading the NHS Give Blood app or calling 0300 123 23 23.”