Blood donors saved mother's life with three transfusions

A mum wants more blood donors to come forward after receiving lifesaving transfusions due to complications after the birth of her twins.

Bethan Dyke, 30, from Tonyrefail in Rhondda Cynon Taf said she dreads to think of how her family's lives could be different.

Her twins Ella and Isaac were born healthy but Bethan needed three transfusions to survive.

The Welsh Blood Service said mothers and babies need 5,000 donations a year.

"If anybody is eligible to give blood, I am hoping that our story and the success of it will encourage them to do the selfless act of giving blood," Bethan said.

"Without the blood transfusion I received, I really dread to think how different our lives would be."

Bethan and her partner, Craig Keohane discovered they were expecting twins in early 2022.

When the twins' growth rate slowed down at 37 weeks a specialist decided to deliver them through a scheduled caesarean section.

The two babies, Ella and Isaac, were both healthy, but doctors at Prince Charles Hospital in Merthyr Tydfil started to notice complications in their mum after delivery.

She lost more than half the blood in her body, ending up in the operation theatre for four hours and needing three blood transfusions.

Her husband Craig Keohane, 31, went from the joy of being a first time father to fearing he could lose his wife.

"I was told I would need to leave along with the babies," he said.

"That's when the real worry started."

"I am really hoping that sharing my story will encourage anybody who hasn't or currently gives to keep donating blood because without those selfless acts of someone giving blood, our lives could have been very different and I might not have been here today," Bethan said.

"I am really grateful to the donors that donated their blood, prior to me needing it."

The Welsh Blood Service needs about 350 blood donations a day to serve the 19 hospitals in Wales, including Prince Charles Hospital, where Bethan received her transfusions.

The service's director Alan Prosser said: "We need 5,000 donations a year just for mothers and babies during childbirth - that's thousands of mums and babies who will have had improved outcomes, often lifesaving, thanks to the generosity of our donors.

"By giving up just one hour of your time, you have a unique opportunity to support mothers like Bethan who rely on transfusions following birthing complications to survive."