When ‘rolling up your sleeves’ at work takes on a whole new meaning

Many of us are familiar with the concept of rolling our sleeves up and getting on with the job when we’re at work, but for four New Zealand Blood Service staff, it recently took on a whole new meaning.

The four recently downed tools on their day jobs to make very special donations of granulocytes, a type of white blood cell that fights infection.

NZBS Apheresis Nurse Specialist Kim Ruxton says two patients last month required the life-saving cells after their bone marrow failed.
“One is a paediatric patient and one is an adult,” she says. “And I know from meeting and speaking with the family of the child that they have nothing but heartfelt gratitude for the donations that have been made.”

Logistics Assistant Heather Dobson, Technical Facilities and Equipment Support Officer Alan Wight, Transfusion Medicine Specialist Dr Richard Charlewood, and Donor Relations Co-ordinator Jina Shin were all matches for the patients concerned and stepped up to donate.

“It was an honour to be asked,” says Heather. “I didn’t know much about granulocyte donation, but the Therapeutic Apheresis Nurses were fantastic at explaining the process and why it’s needed.”
That process involves receiving an injection of Granulocyte Colony Stimulating Factor (GCSF) and taking two steroid pills in the day prior to the procedure; this boosts the production of granulocytes available for collection via special apheresis* machines.

“I had very few to no side effects from the medication the day before,” Heather says. “I did experience some insomnia but overall, the experience was pain-free and enjoyable.
“I was able to relax for a few hours and talk with the nurses, one of whom was always there checking how things were progressing. I was never alone and the team was great at answering my questions; I wanted to know more about the whole process since I usually only deal with products ready for despatching!”
And Heather says the reason for the collection made the decision to say yes even easier.
“It was humbling knowing it was part of an attempt to save a young child’s life.”
Transfusion Medicine Specialist Dr Richard Charlewood says New Zealand Blood Service has collected 488 granulocyte donations since 2001 – an average of just over 20 per year.
He says there’s a trend upwards, with 166 granulocyte donations collected in the first 10 years of NZBS performing the procedure and 250 in the last ten years to 2023.
“This year we’re already above average with 35 collects so far.”
Of his own donation, Richard says he was glad to contribute.
“I am closely involved in these donations so am very aware of the circumstances and have seen some amazing results from them.
“Over the years I’ve asked a lot of donors to make granulocyte donations and felt that I needed to ‘put my money where my mouth was’, do one myself, and see what it was like!”

So what was it like?
“It was fine, and I’d happily do it again.”
As for Heather, she might be rolling up her sleeve again sooner than she thinks.
“I’ve only donated a few times previously but according to the nurses, I have ‘great veins’, so I’ve been asked if I could donate platelets and plasma more frequently.
“I’ve agreed they can call me any time!”

*What is apheresis?

Pronounced ay-fur-ee-sis, it comes from the Greek word meaning “to take away” or “to separate”. It is a method of obtaining one or more blood components by machine processing of whole blood in which the residual components of the blood are returned to the donor during or at the end of the process.

Pictured are Richard one of our Transfusion Medical Specialists and Heather one of our logistics assistants.