Oliver's Journey & Diamond Blackfan Anaemia

Do you want to join me in making a difference? I'm raising money in aid of Diamond Blackfan Anaemia Support Group UK, and every donation will help. Thank you in advance for contributing to this cause; any amount, big or small, means so much to Oliver and his family and friends.

Oliver's Story

Oliver Shaun Padfield is my best friend's son; he is just 14 months old. His due date was 20th June 2021. However, he decided to make an early entrance on the 3rd April 2021, at just 28 weeks old, weighing less than a bag of sugar.

Besides being born 3 months early and the struggles prematurity brings, Oliver also had a virus called CMV. From that, he suffered hearing loss and damage to his brain. On top of this, he has been diagnosed with Diamond Blackfan Anaemia (DBA).

DBA is a very rare life-threatening genetic blood disorder that affects the ability of the bone marrow to produce red blood cells. To prove the rarity of this condition, of the approximate 67 million people living in the UK, only around 125 people have been diagnosed.

This is our absolute lifeline as human beings to be able to produce red blood cells for oxygen to be transported around our body. For Oliver, this is not the case, and in his 14 months of life, he has had to undergo regular blood transfusions to keep him alive and is currently at transfusion number 20.

Despite all of this, Oliver is the strongest, most loving little boy, and because of these transfusions', he is able to grow, flourish and reach milestones that we may just take for granted in our day-to-day lives.

So please, if you are healthy and able, please consider donating blood. You are giving Oliver and many others in need the chance to fulfil a happy life, creating memories with their loved ones.

In order for us to raise money for the charity to provide them with the funds to investigate and hopefully treat this condition, we must first raise awareness.

So that being said, my friends and I are trying to raise as much awareness and funds for DBA by walking up Snowdon on Saturday 23rd July. ANYONE who can is welcome. There will be a mixed bag of fitness levels – some who live a sedentary lifestyle are taking part, others who exercise regularly and some who have just had a baby. But all together looking to get stuck into a challenge with one goal in mind … to raise awareness of DBA and promote blood donation.

So please, donate if you can; as much or as little as is greatly appreciated. And... if you are up for the challenge, come and join us

If it's not for you, then please, please! Share the awareness and give blood if you can.

More information about Diamond Blackfan Anaemia Support Group UK: We support patients and families with children who have DBA throughout the UK.