'I saw a chink of light t and thought that maybe we won't lose her...' Health Editor MADELEINE BRINDLEY reveals how regular blood transfusions play a crucial role in thousands of patients' cancer treatment.

CHEMOTHERAPY may have treated six-year-old Orla's cancer, but her mum Sharon is convinced that blood transfusions saved her youngest daughter's life.

Orla Galton was diagnosed with leukaemia on August 30, 2006 - it is a date etched on 37-year-old Sharon's memory, not least because it was the day that doctors finally took her worries about Orla's health seriously.

"It was awful," the mum-of-three said. "But it wasn't a shock because I knew she was ill but I was told that I was just being an anxious parent.

"She had yet another throat infection, she didn't want to walk properly; she had no energy and was alabaster white - she wasn't right."

After demanding that Orla, who was three at the time, be see at the Princess of Wales Hospital, in Bridgend, a consultant told a worried Sharon that there was something "significant" wrong.

Within hours she was transferred to Cardiff and the following day the family, who live in Blackmill, near Bridgend, learned Orla had leukaemia.

"My question was whether she was going to die and they said that they didn't know, hopefully not," Sharon, a teacher, said.

"Three-year-old's are normally running around but she was so poorly and I couldn't get her to eat or drink.

"To be told that Orla had leukaemia and knowing that she had been unwell for months, I thought that I'd lost her. One of the very first things they do is to put a line in and give fluids; the next thing they do is order and give blood.

"It wasn't until she had blood and platelets that I saw a chink of light and thought maybe I'm not going to lose her. Orla was literally like a rag doll before she had that blood. She would lay in my arms or sleep but after the blood she just sat up and asked for a drink - it was a scary and emotional time.

"We were told then that it's not the chemotherapy treatment that saves lives but the blood - it makes such a huge difference and you can't recover without it."

While she was undergoing chemotherapy Orla received up to eight transfusions of up to two units of blood or blood products at a time.

Each time she received a blood trans-fusiothe change was remarkable.

Sharon, who has two other children - Iestyn, seven and 10-year-old Niamh - said: "It's unbelievable. It's like feeding a child 200 lollipops - suddenly she has energy and is doing things, not just sitting there.

"I can't put into words how much of a difference it makes and how much we reliedondonors-atonepointtheyhad to call a donor in to give blood for Orla. I just want to go out and find that person, give them a big kiss and say thank you.

"It is the blood that stops these children dying because their blood doesn't work. Some of these children are blue; they are freezing cold, can't get warm and are in pain. It is probably the most scary thing you can go through and then a few hours later they are like different children.

"Each time it's like you're being given back your child -we'd get excited when we saw the blood bag coming in because it was like Christmas."

Orla, who is now in long-term remission, has become a poster-child for the Welsh Blood Service this week as it says thank you to the 140,000-plus blood donors in Wales.

As the service celebrates World Blood Day, it is giving all donors thank you cards featuring Orla and seven-year-old Megan Rogers, from Milford Haven, who also received blood and platelets while being treated for leukaemia.

Sharon, who has been donating blood since she was 18, added: "When I go and give blood now, I want to shout 'thank you' to everyone.

"I took Orla with me the last time I donated and she told the nurse that was what they gave her.

"There was a man sitting next to her who had the same blood group as Orla and she said thank you to him - you could see he was really touched.

"My 10-year-old daughter now asks how old she has to be to give blood - when Orla went in needing blood once, Niamh said: ' Please don't let her die.' "Blood donors have saved Orla's life at least twice, but it's done quietly and they never get to appreciate what they have done for someone. If I knew who they were, I'd go and thank them."

WHY CANCER PATIENTS NEED BLOOD D

IT is commonly thought that only patients undergoing major surgery or those who have suffered serious accidents need donated blood.

But some of the biggest users of blood and blood products, such as platelets, are cancer patients.

Blood has become an important element of cancer treatment, helping patients to fight anaemia.

Dr Richard Adams, a senior lecturer in oncology, who works at Velindre Cancer Centre, in Cardiff, said: "Blood is given to cancer patients for a whole host of reasons, the most common scenario is for symptomatic anaemia.

"This can cause marked fatigue and greatly affects patients' quality of life, can affect ongoing and future therapy and lead to heart failure.

"The reasons patients become anaemic are varied and could be because of loss of blood - a cancer in the bowel could be bleeding.

"The other main cause of anaemia is related to a person's bone marr working as well as it should be b platelet levels are low. row not because "Chemotherapy can cause platele to fall so patients need to be sup through that. If they are not suppo can cause anything from a strok major internal bleed." et levels pported orted, it ke to a Blood transfusions are also given cer patients receiving palliative ca Dr Adams added: "Until w an alternative, particularly in pa care settings, we very much dep blood. n to canare.

we find alliative pend on "The other day in clinic I referr patients for blood transfusions - o haemoglobin levels half of wha should have had. There is nothing e would give a relatively instant effe "If blood transfusionswere not av thatwould tie our hands greatly and be a big issue." red two one had at they else that ect.

For more information about don blood contact the Welsh Blood Ser 0800 252 266 or www.welsh-blood.o vailable, d would nating rvice on org.uk 'When you have blood it's fantastic - I'm like a new man'

RETIRED wine trader Derek Smith has received up to 25 units of blood and blood products in the last year.

The transfusions were a regular occurrence during his treatment for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma - he finished his current round of chemotherapy in February.

"When you have chemotherapy it can either reduce your white cells, your red cells or your platelets - in my case it's done them all," the grandfather-of-one from Rhiwbina, in Cardiff, said.

"When your white cells go down you become very immune deficient so you can't go near any children, out in the rain or near anyone with coughs and colds.

"But the blood has brought me back - when my blood is bad, when I've got very low blood counts I'm not very well at all."

Derek, 64, added: "I normally have between two and three units at a time and it takes a couple of days for my colour to come back.

"You get very pale - almost white - but you can see when the blood has gone in. I'm quite a big chap so I need a bit more blood than the average person.

"When there were no platelets available in the bank they called a man and asked him to come in to donate - and he did.

"I was so impressed and grateful to him for doing that.

"Having blood is probably the most important part of my treatment because when your blood is not right, you can't eat or sleep; I'm cold all the time and restless.

"But when you have blood it's fantastic - I'm like a new man."

Derek Smith says he feels like a new man when he has his blood transfusions PICTURE: Andrew Davies [umlaut]

CAPTION(S):

Little Orla Galton's life has been saved by blood donations. Inset, Orla is being featured on a thank you card from the Welsh Blood Service this week