Donating is in their blood

They’re the family who are doing their best to keep Scotland in blood stocks.

The McGowans, from Hamilton, have donated more than 600 pints of the red stuff to date and they’re showing no sign of stopping just yet.

Kenneth has given blood 342 times. Daughter Marianne, 37, has donated on more than 150 occasions, and wife Kate and sons Paul and Stephen have also supplied a pint or two over the years.

Surprisingly though, despite facing the syringe hundreds of times, Kenneth, 67, admits he has a fear of needles.

“I hate them, but as long as I don’t see it, it’s OK,” he laughed. “I’m really just a glutton for the Tunnock’s teacakes they give you afterwards!”

The former teacher first gave blood on January 27 1965, after a blood transfusion saved the life of his mum, Cathie.

“Mum was in hospital for surgery and she haemorrhaged, losing a lot of blood,” Kenneth explained.

“A transfusion was the only thing that saved her. And I realised it was the blood someone else donated that kept her alive for a further 28 years.

“I was 19 at the time of the haemorrhage and my sisters were just nine and 12. Our lives would have worked out very differently if it hadn’t been for that blood donation.

“Not only would we have been without a mum, but she wouldn’t have lived to see her children and grandchildren grow up.”

After his first donation, Kenneth decided to give blood regularly. Over the years it became a habit and his family soon followed in his footsteps.

The father-of-three also has a rare and life-saving antibody in his blood, which stops babies dying from Rhesus disease a form of severe anaemia. The condition creates an incompatibility between the mother’s blood and that of her unborn baby. It stems from one having Rh-positive blood and the other Rh-negative.

Although Kenneth recently had to give up donating due to high blood pressure, his antibody is still used in the Anti-D vaccine, which has helped save the lives of countless babies, and allowed hundreds of mothers to give birth to healthy kids.

And he’s still a volunteer with the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service.

“Once you realise the difference giving blood can make, you just want to keep going,” Kenneth said. “I may no longer be able to give blood but the family have promised to keep my legacy going and I couldn’t be more delighted they’ve chosen to follow suit.”

Lynne Willdigg, Donor Services Manager for SNBTS, said: “The commitment Kenneth and his family have shown is second to none and we cannot thank him enough for the great example he has set to others.

“SNBTS is reliant on the goodwill of donors who give their time to give to help save or improve the lives of patients in Scotland.”