Hidden in your 血, the 'liquid gold' that saves 癌 患者s

By Fiona Duffy for MailOnline

Published: 01:51 BST, 24 April 2012 | Updated: 11:57 BST, 24 April 2012

Simon Wilson prayed silently as the first 減少（する） of liquid gold trickled 負かす／撃墜する the intravenous tube and into his wife’s chest.

It was June 2007 and Lisa, 33, was ill with leukaemia ― 癌 of the 血.

This was the first of dozens of transfusions not of 血 but 血 独房s known as platelets. For while chemotherapy was keeping Lisa alive, it was also destroying her platelet levels. If these dropped too low, she wouldn’t be strong enough to keep having chemo.

Forty platelet transfusions meant Lisa could continue life-長引かせるing 癌 治療. Eight months after her first transfusions, she went on a final family holiday with her husband and two young daughters.

Precious time: Simon Wilson with his late wife, Lisa, and their two daughters Amelia and Ella

Tragically, Lisa died ten months later in April 2008. But seeing the difference the transfusions made to her life, Simon is 支援 calls for more people to 寄付する platelets.

‘Most people know hospitals need us to 寄付する 血, but few realise the importance of 寄付するing platelets,’ he says. ‘There are just 14,000 platelet 寄贈者s compar ed to? 1.4 million 血 寄贈者s.

‘They 確実にする 癌 患者s are not only 井戸／弁護士席 enough to continue their 治療, but also strong enough to 生き残る it.’

Platelet levels are 影響する／感情d during chemotherapy because the 麻薬s destroy healthy 同様に as cancerous 独房s, says Ken Campbell, 臨床の （警察などへの）密告，告訴（状） officer at Leukaemia and Lymphoma 研究. 癌 itself can also lead to lower platelet levels.

Transfusions help in two ways ― platelets are 決定的な for 血 clotting, helping to 妨げる dangerous 血 loss and bruising. A low platelet count is a 関心 for 患者s who need 外科 or a bone 骨髄 移植（する）.

‘Platelets also help 刺激する the 傷をいやす／和解させるing of 負傷させるs,’ says Mr Campbell. It’s not just 癌 患者s who need these transfusions ― so do those with 血 disorders or whose platelet counts have been 影響する／感情d by illness.

‘Four per cent of the 適格の 全住民 寄付する 血 ― but that 減少（する）s to just 0.2 per cent who 寄付する platelets,’ says Lynne Moulder from the 国家の 血 and 移植（する） Service.

The problem is 寄贈者s need to be 登録（する）d as platelet 寄贈者s ― you can’t 寄付する 血 同様に. Until the Eighties, platelets were 抽出するd from 寄付s of 血. However, it took five 寄付s of 血 to pool enough platelets for just one dose.

There is a more efficient way of collecting platelets ― a 過程 called apheresis, where a machine takes 血 from the 寄贈者, filters out the platelets and then returns the 血 to the 寄贈者.

‘This is far more efficient and means we can get up to two doses from one 寄贈者,’ says Lynner.

Until the Eighties, platelets were 抽出するd from 血, but it took five 寄付s of 血 to pool enough platelets for just one dose

In 2007, the Department of Health requested that at least 80 per cent of adult doses of platelets had to come from 選び出す／独身 寄贈者s 経由で apheresis. Half of the 全住民 have a high enough count to 寄付する platelets. Platelets are as 平易な to 寄付する as 血, but it takes 90 minutes compared with ten minutes for a 血 寄付. And because platelets have only a seven-day shelf life, compared with 35 days for 血, 寄贈者s can 寄付する every month and not the usual four for 血 寄贈者s.

‘寄付s times are worked out to 確実にする the 団体／死体 is able to 補充する its natural 供給（する）s,’ says Chris Gorman from the 国家の 血 and 移植（する） Service. This takes 48 hours.

Simon, an IT specialist in Bakewell, Derbyshire, and his daughters Ella, now eight, and Amelia, five, 高く評価する／（相場などが）上がる only too 井戸／弁護士席 the gift platelet 寄贈者s 供給する. It gave them precious extra months with Lisa.

In March 2007, she had begun to feel rundown and exhausted. She’d returned to her 職業 as a teacher when Amelia was six months old, and at first put it 負かす／撃墜する to the 強調する／ストレス of having a baby.

‘She had a 永久の 冷淡な she couldn’t shake off and was lethargic instead of her usual bubbly self,’ says Simon. She saw the GP three times and was told she had postnatal tiredness, a sinus 感染 or migraines.

On her fourth visit, the GP 示唆するd it might be glandular fever and arranged a 血 実験（する）.

At 10pm that evening, a 研究室／実験室 doctor phoned the couple at home.

‘存在 so late we knew something must be 本気で wrong,’ says Simon.

‘He said abnormalities had been 設立する and Lisa should go to hospital すぐに. When she 押し進めるd for an explanation, he said it could be an 感染 or leukaemia. We felt utter desolation.’

Two days later （機の）カム the news that she had leukaemia. ‘The specialist explained she had a 50/50 chance of 存在 alive five years after diagnosis, but Lisa had the 利益 of 存在 young, fit and healthy,’ says Simon.

その上の 実験（する）s 確認するd she had 激烈な／緊急の myeloid leukaemia ― a form of 血 癌 that 進歩s quickly. Here, too many immature red 血 独房s are produced in the bone 骨髄, leaving no room for normal 血 独房s.

Some leukaemia 独房s also ‘流出／こぼす over’ into the bloodstream. These 独房s don’t 円熟した and so don’t work 適切に, 主要な to an 増加するd 危険 of 感染.

Lisa 乗る，着手するd on four 一連の会議、交渉／完成するs of chemotherapy over five months.

‘She 苦しむd 味方する-影響s such as sickness and lost her hair, but never once complained. 最初, she 答える／応じるd 井戸／弁護士席 and doctors were really pleased,’ says Simon.

A few days after her diagnosis, Lisa received the first of many transfusions, matched to her 血 type, to 確実にする she could continue having chemotherapy.

After the fourth 一連の会議、交渉／完成する of chemo, doctors 宣言するd the 癌 was in remission. Lisa even made 計画（する）s to run the London マラソン.

But the family’s joy was short-lived. Just two months later, she begin to feel wiped out. Then she discovered bruises on her arm ― a classic 調印する of leukaemia, 原因（となる）d by a low level of platelets.

血 実験（する）s 確認するd their worst 恐れるs ― the leukaemia was 支援する. This time chemotherapy wouldn’t be enough; Lisa would need a bone 骨髄 移植（する）. She 乗る，着手するd on another course of chemotherapy to minimise the 癌, giving the 移植（する） the best chance of working. Again it was the platelet transfusions that kept her going.

But the chemotherapy didn’t work. The choice was stark: try again, with an even more gruelling course of chemo, or spend the time she had left with her family. Lisa decided not to go ahead with more 治療. Over the next three months, the family enjoyed 質 time. Lisa had platelet and 輸血s ― 同様に as oral chemotherapy to slow 負かす／撃墜する her 悪化／低下.

‘We had 週末s away and a wonderful holiday in 中心 Parcs to celebrate her 34th birthday on February 28. No longer having the most powerful chemotherapy 麻薬s, Lisa looked 井戸／弁護士席 for the first time in months. She put on 負わせる and her hair grew 支援する.’

But just weeks later, she was getting たびたび（訪れる） 冷淡なs and 感染s. Lisa put together a ‘mummy 手動式の’, with advice on everything from school to 着せる／賦与するs, make-up and boys. She also made memory boxes that 含む／封じ込めるd 調書をとる／予約するs she read with the girls and a favourite scarf.

In April 2008, Lisa was 認める to hospital with a 執拗な chest 感染. In the 早期に hours of April 8, her breathing became shallower. As she took her last breath, a 選び出す／独身 涙／ほころび rolled 負かす／撃墜する her cheek.

Four years after her death, Simon juggles parenthood with work and fundraising for Leukaemia 研究 and Winston’s Wish, a childhood bereavement charity.

And on Sunday, the fourth 周年記念日 of Lisa’s funeral, he ran the London マラソン in four hours and 32 minutes.

He also continues to 寄付する platelets. ‘Platelets kept Lisa 井戸／弁護士席 enough to continue with chemo,’ he says. ‘But afterwards they kept her with me just that little bit longer. Without them she might not have seen her 34th birthday and would have spent more time in hospital away from us.

‘Platelets gave us precious time together as a family, which I treasure more than anything.’

To sponsor Simon, visit justgiving.com/simon2012. For more 詳細（に述べる）s on platelet 寄付, visit 血.co.uk/platelets