HUNDREDS of people around this country have recently saved my life, writes Lindsay Holder.

These are people who spare their time to give blood.

Since last September, I have received more than 20 blood transfusions and have witnessed first-hand how essential blood donors really are.

Until then, I thought I was healthy. I was in for a shock.

Headaches and tiredness I labelled as everyday ailments, but increasing nosebleeds, unexplained bruises and rashes of red spots under my skin rang alarm bells.

A blood test taken during a Tuesday lunch hour, from my job as a reporter at the Gazette, showed something was very wrong.

That evening, I was admitted to Worcester-shire Royal Hospital and eventually, after a flurry of tests, scans and a very unpleasant bone marrow biopsy, was diagnosed with a rare condition called severe aplastic anaemia.

This meant my bone marrow was being attacked by my own immune system and wasn't working.

I was severely anaemic, my blood wasn't clotting properly and I couldn't protect myself from infection.

A tube leading to a major vein in my chest was inserted into my neck to administer a course of chemical immuno-therapy. This works by killing-off my immune system in the hope it will re-start normally.

I'm still awaiting the results and could face a repeat procedure or, as a last resort, a bone marrow transplant.

However, I could not survive any of this without regular blood transfusions and weekly doses of clotting cells called platelets. To put it bluntly, without blood donors, I might not be here today.

I am not alone; the haematology unit in Worcester is full of people, young and old, many of whom have become my friends, who could not survive without blood donations.

I have discovered that blood is a rare commodity.

My body will only accept blood treated against certain viruses and anti- bodies, so each bag must be ordered in advance and driven to Worcester by courier from the region's main blood bank in Birmingham.

If none is available, hospitals around the country must be scoured.

Availability is not always guaranteed and patients must often wait in excess of five hours, or come back another day. Platelets are equally as precious. It takes around five donors to make up a single bag, and these too must be pre-ordered and driven long distances each week.

My immense gratitude goes to the doctors and nurses who have treated me so well, but also to the precious blood donors who really have saved my life.

Though my full recovery might be a long way off, when it happens, I shall be first in the blood donor queue to help others like me.