New cards encourage dads & sons to sign up to give blood
- Moonpig has partnered with NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) to create a bespoke range of Mother’s Day cards that encourages dads and sons to give a gift that matters by donating blood
- The exclusive range includes 10 humorous and heartfelt designs, two of them designed by children whose mums’ lives were saved by blood transfusions
- Around 4,000 women a year suffer severe bleeds following childbirth and around 50,000 units of blood are used for transfusions during delivery
- 62% of dads are unaware that blood loss at childbirth is one of the leading uses of blood donation and therefore were unaware of the risks
- To keep the banks full, the NHSBT needs to recruit around 400 new donors and maintain 5,000 donations every day
- 10% of card sales will be donated to Mind
Forget the usual flowers and brekkie in bed, Moonpig has launched a limited-edition range of cards in partnership with NHS Blood and Transplant to encourage fathers and sons to donate blood in honour of their mothers and partners this Mother’s Day. The drive for new donors is vital as around 4,000 women a year suffer severe bleeds at childbirth, with the majority needing blood transfusions.
Research by Moonpig found 62% of dads were unaware that childbirth is one of the leading uses of blood donation, therefore were unaware of the risks associated with giving birth. More than one in four dads (27%) say they feel indebted to their partner after seeing all they go through during childbirth and a further 39% think it’s important to thank their partner for everything they do as a mum. Therefore, these cards have been designed to give grateful dads a way to recognise their partner’s achievements this Mother’s Day.
The light-hearted range of cards include some to be given from the father, such as: ‘To celebrate you on Mother's Day, I've decided I'm going to lie down with a nice cuppa..., and others to be gifted by the child, including ‘Mummy you’re bloody brilliant (sorry for swearing)’.
Two of the cards have been designed by children of mums who have required a blood transfusion. Kirsty Armstrong suffered a large bleed during the birth of her third child – her own life was subsequently saved by 20 units of blood. In light of this, her 12-year-old daughter has designed a card showing a blood bag entitled ‘We love you’.
Meanwhile Laura Scott experienced a severe bleed whilst giving birth to her son Henry at 30 weeks, she then had blood transfusions totalling 22 units. Henry drew a heart alongside the words ‘Mummy, I give you my heart. Daddy gives blood. Because we love you!’.
Tara Burke is also taking part in the initiative; she suffered from severe pre-eclampsia whilst giving birth – her son Ethan was born prematurely and so they both benefited from life-saving blood transfusions. 10% of card sales will be donated to charity Mind as chosen by Tara, Kirsty and Laura. Mind specialises in post birth trauma counselling, as well as providing advice and support to combat pre and post natal depression.
The blood donation Mother's Day range is exclusively available now through Moonpig here.
Around one in five women suffer a bleed during childbirth, with about one per cent suffering the post severe form of post birth bleed. Around six per cent of donated blood is given to mothers during childbirth – around 50,000 units a year. However, it’s particularly important that men donate as women are unable to for at least six months after birth and men’s blood is used almost exclusively in complete blood transfusions on babies and for transfusions in the womb.
Last year, only 41% of new donors were men, so it’s vitally important than more men try donating for the first time. The NHS needs 400 new donors every day to keep a strong donor base and maintain 5,000 donations every day.
Kirsty said: “I am incredibly grateful to all blood donors for their generosity, as without them I wouldn’t be here. My experience has encouraged my family and friends to donate and I am passionate about spreading the word to others. Being part of this initiative will hopefully go some way towards getting more people donating.”
Laura said: “I’m so lucky to be alive. Donating blood may not seem much, only being an hour of your time and enjoying a cuppa and a biscuit afterwards, but it honestly couldn't be a bigger deal. You save lives. Since my transfusion, my partner is now a regular blood donor and so I hope my story can encourage others to be one too.”
Dale Boreham, Design & Publishing Manager at Moonpig said: “We know that childbirth is one of the leading uses of blood donation so we wanted to help NHSBT highlight the life-changing difference dads can make to their family and others by giving blood. The ten cards in this exclusive range have a light-hearted twist on a serious topic and were designed to appeal to regular donors as well as the wider public wishing to celebrate the amazing Mums they know.”
Tom Aggett, Lead for Male Blood Donor Recruitment at NHS Blood and Transplant, said: “Registering as a new donor may not seem like a traditional Mother’s Day gift but it really is something meaningful you can do to celebrate mums and save lives. Giving blood is amazing and so we hope the cards will encourage more fathers to save lives by signing up to donate.”
-ENDS-
For more information contact:
Moonpig@brands2life.com
0207 592 1200
For more information on NHS Blood and Transplant contact:
Stephen Bailey
Stephen.bailey@nhsbt.nhs.uk0151 268 7017
Or the NHSBT press office on pressoffice@nhsbt.nhs.uk and 01923 367600.
Further details on case studies:
Kirsty Armstrong, 40, London
Kirsty’s life was saved by 20 units of blood, including O negative, the universal donor type. The mum of three, suffered a massive bleed during the birth of her third child, Michael, in August 2017, at the Princess Royal University Hospital in Beckenham. After two and a half hours in shock, Kirsty was rushed into theatre on a code red, and spent four hours there before being taken to intensive care. She was brought round a day later - on the day of her own birthday. She received 16 units of blood during the operation and a further four units while recovering. Her son Michael was kept in the NICU (newborn intensive care unit) and received treatment for oxygen deprivation and an infection, but thankfully is now a healthy two year old. Kirsty is blood type A+ and has previously donated blood herself.
Laura Scott, 48, West Sussex
Laura received an incredible 22 units of blood when she had a severe bleed while giving birth to her son Henry at 30 weeks. She woke up in ICU (intensive care unit) after giving birth and so had to wait 24 hours to meet her son for the first time. The only contact she could have with him was through the hatch on his incubator. Henry was born not breathing and needed to be resuscitated. He spent 12 weeks in hospital and he needed a blood transfusion himself, to replace the blood he'd lost during multiple blood tests. Henry, now aged six, is thriving and Laura’s husband Dave is a blood donor. Laura had previously also been a blood donor.
Tara Burke, 40, Hertfordshire
Tara and her son Ethan both needed life-saving blood transfusions when she gave birth. Tara had a severe form of pre-eclampsia caused by an undiagnosed clotting disorder and needed two units of blood. Ethan was born prematurely and needed five units of O negative blood. Tara was admitted to give birth at Watford Hospital in 2014, when she was at 26 weeks gestation. She developed HELLP syndrome, a rare variant of pre-eclampsia. Her kidneys stopped working, her liver was failing, and her blood was breaking down. The doctors therefore decided they needed to carry out the urgent c-section to save her life. Ethan needed five transfusions spaced out over a number of weeks – this is because premature babies don’t have mature bone marrow which enables them to produce enough of their own blood cells.
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Notes to editors
The cards will be available from 12th March 2020 until Mother’s Day (22nd March 2020).
Research revealing that 62% of dads are unaware that childbirth is one of the leading uses of blood donation was carried out by Moonpig who surveyed 419 dads between 28 Feb and 3 March 2020. The remaining research was carried out by Ginger Comms, on behalf of Moonpig, between 4th and 5th of March 2020. 500 fathers were surveyed.
Moonpig will donate 10% of card sales to Mind, chosen by Laura Scott, Kirsty Scott and Tara Burke. MIND Charity provides a wealth of support and advice for Mothers - from simple breathing techniques to addressing pre and postnatal mental health problems.
Obstetric haemorrhage remains a major cause of maternal mortality in the UK. It is estimated that there are more than 4,000 cases of severe haemorrhage each year in the UK; the majority of these women will need a blood transfusion. (Details here)
NHSBT issued 1.417m units of red blood cells last year. (NHSBT Annual Report)
According to NHSBT’s last audit of blood, around 50,000 units of blood are used each year around childbirth.
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About Moonpig
At Moonpig, we take pride in helping people turn something as simple as a piece of paper into a compassionate message of care. Giving people the tools and confidence to get the occasion right is our MO. Our range of over 10,000 designs gives people creative freedom and infinite possibilities to make someone laugh, smile and feel loved. We deliver over 17 million cards a year. That’s over 17 million opportunities to show someone you care.
Combined with the ability to send a card from the palm of your hand on our app or mobile site and the ability to make someone feel special with an award-winning bouquet or a great gift, Moonpig makes sharing a little bit of love simple, easy and super meaningful.
About NHS Blood and Transplant
NHS Blood and Transplant is a joint England and Wales Special Health Authority. We are responsible for ensuring a safe and efficient supply of blood and associated services to the NHS in England. We are also the organ donation organisation for the UK and are responsible for matching and allocating donated organs.