Mum's plea for plasma donors after child's illness

"Rebecca said her daughter was seven when she was diagnosed with Kawasaki disease, a condition she had "only ever heard of" from a Grey's Anatomy episode. Winifred received intravenous immunoglobulin which was made from donated plasma. Now aged nine, she has recovered and only needs regular check-ups. Since her daughter's illness, Rebecca has donated plasma herself and also wants to raise awareness of the disease which causes inflammation in blood vessels and can damage the heart if left untreated."

"Her daughter became unwell in December 2023 with a fever that lasted several days. "At first it just seemed like a normal illness," Rebecca said. "She wasn't extremely unwell. She just had a temperature and didn't feel herself." After checks at hospital, the family were reassured and sent home but she later developed an unexplained rash across her body. Rebecca shared photos of the rash with a friend who is a paediatric A&E consultant. He advised her to return to hospital so doctors could rule out Kawasaki disease."

"Because the condition was picked up quickly, Winifred was given urgent intravenous immunoglobulin, a treatment made from donated plasma. Early treatment is known to significantly reduce the risk of long-term heart problems."

Rebecca's daughter, Winifred, fell ill in December 2023 with a fever that lasted several days and later developed an unexplained rash. A paediatric A&E consultant advised a return to hospital so Kawasaki disease could be considered. At age seven, Winifred was diagnosed at the Royal Free Hospital in London with Kawasaki disease, which causes inflammation in blood vessels and can damage the heart if left untreated. She received urgent intravenous immunoglobulin made from donated plasma, and early treatment reduced the risk of long-term heart problems. Winifred recovered, returned to school quickly, and now, aged nine, needs only regular check-ups. Rebecca now donates plasma and seeks to raise awareness and encourage plasma donations.

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