NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) is partnering with parents to raise awareness of Kawasaki disease in order to encourage crucial blood and plasma donations in South London centres, writes Romilly Schulte…
Twickenham is home to one of three specially dedicated plasma donor centres, where donors can give life-saving plasma without removing other components of the blood, meaning people can give more in one session and donate more often.
Plasma is used to produce life-saving medicines such as immunoglobulin, which is central to treating inflammatory diseases such as Kawasaki disease, which is the leading cause of acquired heart disease in children in the UK.
“Kawasaki disease is little known but is more common than some forms of bacterial meningitis and can be just as serious,” says Rachael McCormack, founder of Societi, the UK foundation for Kawasaki disease.
“Early diagnosis and prompt treatment with intravenous immunoglobulin can dramatically reduce the rise of long-term heart damage. Raising awareness among parents and clinicians, alongside ensuring a reliable supply of plasma-derived treatments, is vital to protecting children’s hearts,” says Ms McCormack.
Kawasaki disease is an inflammatory condition mainly affecting children under the age of five that, if left untreated, can seriously affect the coronary arteries. The NHS states that around one in four children with untreated Kawasaki disease experience heart complications.
Rebecca Nako is a dedicated advocate for raising awareness of Kawasaki disease, who emphasises the importance of plasma donation after her daughter Winifred, aged nine, was diagnosed with the serious health condition.
“I had only ever heard of Kawasaki disease from a Grey’s Anatomy episode”, said Ms Nako. The disease often begins with mild symptoms that resemble common seasonal illness. “She just had a temperature and generally wasn’t feeling very well,” added Winifred’s mum.
After Winifred developed hives across her body, an A&E consultant friend was coincidentally preparing an educational presentation on Kawasaki disease, and advised Ms Nako to raise concerns at a hospital. Thanks to Winifred’s early diagnosis, she received urgent intravenous immunoglobin, a plasma-derived medicine that reduces the risk of heart complications when administered early, and is now fully recovered.
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Pamela Antoinette, manager of Twickenham Plasma Operations, NHS Blood and Transplant, “saw first-hand how devastating Kawasaki disease can be for children and families.”
“Some children recover well, but others face serious, lifelong heart complications. Plasma donors play a vital role in making sure treatments like immunoglobulin are available when children need them most,” she said, noting that “we have three specially dedicated plasma donor centres in Twickenham, Reading and Birmingham, but we also recover plasma from every blood donation from across the country too.”
Ms Nako was inspired by her daughter’s recovery to become a plasma donor herself, saying that “donating plasma directly at one of the three dedicated centres means I can donate more frequently.”
Dr Emily Macdonagh, an ambassador for NHSBT, says she was “really moved to meet Rebecca, hear her experience of Kawasaki and watch her donate plasma for the first time – it was quick, straightforward and showed how easy it is to make a real difference.”
She concluded: “If you’re able to donate plasma, please book an appointment – it could help save a child’s life.”
You can donate plasma at the Twickenham site at:
Regal House
Floor 8
70 London Road
Twickenham
TW1 3QS
You can book an appointment here.
The NHS provides information on local blood donation centres here: https://www.blood.co.uk/the-donation-process/about-our-donation-venues/
