Meet The Mum Who Lost Astonishing 18 Litres of Blood During Birth

Before I Continue, I have Questions For Nigerians.

When Last did you Donate Blood?
And also do you know about Blood Transfusion?
Do you know you can serve Humanity by being a blood donor?

For more information on how to donate blood in Nigeria, Visit the site of National Blood Transfusion Service www.nbts.org.ng 

A mother of three who lost a staggering 18 litres of blood during the birth of her youngest son has set a new record for the most transfusions in a single operation.

Natasha Pollock, 34, needed an astonishing 39 units of blood products to save her life during seven-hour surgery at Worcester Royal Hospital in the West Midlands in the early hours of Christmas Day.

The operation followed a complicated emergency c-section to deliver her son, Oliver, after she suffered a heavy bleed at 32 weeks' pregnant due to a rare placental condition.

Natasha, from Stratford-upon-Avon, lost around 32 pints of blood during the birth.

At one stage, doctors were forced to use a Cell Saver blood machine to collect the blood she was losing and recycle that back into her too, meaning the total loss was even higher.

She survived after receiving a remarkable 29 units of red blood cells, and 10 more units other blood products, including platelets, plasma, and cryoprecipitate.

Doctors later told her this was a new hospital record for the most blood and blood components transfused in just one operation.

Oliver remains in hospital since the c-section, but is said to be recovering well.

Earlier in her pregnancy, Natasha had been diagnosed with Grade 4 Placenta Previa.

This meant her placenta was covering her entire cervix, blocking a natural birth.

Natasha was on ward due to an earlier bleed, so when a heavy bleed came in the late evening on Christmas Eve 2015, doctors decided to carry out an emergency caesarean section.

Natasha was 32 weeks and one day pregnant at the time.

But during the operation, doctors also discovered the expectant mother had Placenta Percreta, which is where the placenta grows through the uterine wall and attaches itself to other internal organs.

In this case, her bladder and uterus were severely compromised.

“The doctors couldn’t remove the placenta. My leading consultant phoned a colleague who is bladder surgeon, he was not on call, but just happened to be home, in bed," said Natasha.

"He came into the hospital immediately despite being 40 minutes away while my leading consultant held my uterus in his hands to help stem the bleeding.

"The consultant urologist had done this kind operation once before. He reconstructed my bladder using tissues from my tummy while dissecting the placenta.

"My leading consultant then had to perform a hysterectomy as well as the uterus was totally destroyed and I was critical.

"They had to give me every available blood product there is.”

Natasha's condition deteriorated to the point where she developed the life threatening condition disseminated intravascular coagulation.

This is where small blood clots form over the entire body due to the system going into overdrive following major blood loss.

The result is the patient doesn't clot where it is necessary because of depletion of the clotting factors and the patient is at risk of multiple organ failure.

After almost six hours in theater, Natasha's husband David was informed of the DIC situation.

He understood survival was not looking good and he was encouraged to see the baby.

David, 37, a gas engineer, said: “It was horrendous. We thought it was bad when she had transfusions with our other children.

"I was waiting outside just sitting down and pacing up and down, waiting to be told what was going on.

"I first saw Natasha awake around 9.30am on Christmas Day. She came around and looked at me and I must have looked a bit scared because she said ‘what’s wrong, what’s the matter?’.

"She’d been under anaesthetic and didn’t know anything.”

Oliver was born premature at 32 weeks but was relatively heavy for his age at 4lbs 11oz.

He is still in hospital but is putting on weight and coming along well.

Natasha said: “The staff were calling me the ‘Christmas Miracle’. I was a bit of a curiosity and the transfusion team told me I now held the hospital record for the most blood transfused.

"They have invited me to speak at a conference in July.”

Natasha has needed blood transfusions during four births.

She also lost two litres of blood during the birth of Eddie, now aged five, one and a half litres during the birth of Bethany, now three and a half, and one and a half litres during the birth of Daniel, who was sadly stillborn at term in July 2014.

Natasha has the much needed O negative blood which is the universal donor blood group.

She knew she had valuable blood so she was a donor herself but the transfusions mean that she is no longer able to donate.

“I’m really happy because all of my children are O negative too, and I will be marching them down to a blood donation session when they are old enough!

"I donated blood about 10 times, but certainly not as much as I needed!” said Natasha, who runs a guest house.

“I just wouldn’t be alive without blood donors. My children wouldn’t have their mother and my husband wouldn’t have his wife.”

Jon Latham, Assistant Director of Marketing at NHS Blood and Transplant, said registering as a blood and platelet donor can save lives.

“Many people have not heard of platelets and do not realise how vital they are – platelets help the blood to clot," he said.

"Blood and platelets regularly save the lives of people like Natasha who have traumatic injuries, cancer, or life threatening complications in childbirth.”

Source: Mirror Uk.