Sharp rise in bone marrow donors

Carol Maddocks has won an award for her campaigning efforts

The number of bone marrow donors in Britain has increased by 2000%, since a woman who challenged Tony Blair on national TV called for more to be done.

Carol Maddocks told Mr Blair during BBC One's Question Time in 2001, that donor registers needed more funding.

Since then the number of donors has jumped from 2,000 to 40,000 a year

Mrs Maddocks, whose daughter Alice needs a bone marrow transplant, was given an award by the National Blood Service in recognition of her work.

"We've had an extra 120,000 donors over the last three years, it's fantastic," she told the BBC.

'Gift of life'

Alice Maddocks has a rare condition known as aplastic anaemia, which means if she is cut and bleeds, the bleeding doesn't stop.

Her bone marrow type is so rare only one in every two million people have the same type.

We've had an extra 120,000 donors over the last three years Carol Maddocks

Appearing on TV with her mother, Alice said she is feeling a lot better than she did three years ago.

She is no longer dependent on blood transfusions but is still to find a matching donor.

Carol urged people to become bone marrow donors.

"It's the gift of life, other than being able to donate your organs, which you can only do once you're dead, this is just an extension to giving blood," she said.

People can become marrow donors when they give blood. An extra sample of blood is taken, which is then tissue typed and added to the register.

The actual marrow is not extracted until someone needs it.

When this happens the marrow is taken under a general anaesthetic, but according to Carol - the risk is no greater than having a tooth out under anaesthetic.

Following her initial outburst, Mrs Maddocks and husband Dean, from Dewsbury, were invited to have tea with the Blairs at Number 10 Downing Street in 2002.

Mrs Maddocks has also written a book on her daughter, called 'For the Love of Alice', with a foreword written by Tony Blair.

The National Blood Service (NBS) presented Carol the National Special Award, along with 10 others who have made a significant contribution towards blood and bone marrow donoring, including nurses, regular donors and campaigners.

Other award winners include 14 year old Joanne Keenan who, after being diagnosed with leukaemia, has helped raise awareness over the need for blood donations.