Carmarthenshire family urges Christmas blood donations to save lives

The family of a young girl from Carmarthenshire who survived cancer twice is urging people across Wales to give the ultimate gift this Christmas – the gift of life.
Hannah Poole, from Ammanford, was just three years old when she was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia in 2013. After months of gruelling chemotherapy, her family thought the worst was behind them. But five years later, the cancer returned.
To survive, Hannah needed countless transfusions of red blood cells and platelets to keep her strong enough to receive the treatment she needed.
Today, at 15, she’s fully recovered and looking forward to spending Christmas at home with her family.
Hannah said: “I love Christmas. It’s my favourite time of year, even when I was unwell and having treatment. I want to say a huge thank you to every single blood and platelet donor in Wales.
"Because of you, I get to make more Christmas memories with my family.”
Her father, Adam, became a platelet donor after Hannah’s first diagnosis and has since made more than 230 donations, each one requiring a 100-mile round trip. Every journey is a commitment to giving someone the chance of life, and Adam says knowing his donations could help families like his makes every mile worthwhile.
“Christmas is special for most families,” Adam said. “But for us, it means everything. We never forget that Hannah wouldn’t be here without the generosity of blood and platelet donors.”
Mum Katrina added: “When you donate, you give the ultimate gift, time together. Without you, we wouldn't have Hannah. We are so grateful. It saved us as a family. We will never be able to truly thank donors enough for what they did for Hannah.”