Fund-raising life-savers

Louise and Amith Paramel are holding a cake sale, raffle and face painting and balloon modelling stand near the main entrance to raise money for Blue Skies Hospitals Fund and DKMS – Delete Blood Cancer.

They will also be encouraging visitors and staff to sign up to blood stem cell donor register through by completing a registration form and having a cheek swab to help detect matches.

Louise’s passion for helping those in need of a transplant comes from her former employment as a nurse on the bone marrow transplant unit at Great Ormond Street Hospital.

She said: “I would give children their transfusion on the ward as a nurse. I still keep in touch with the other nurses there and after I left I decided I wanted to do more to help the children.

“Amith and I got in touch with DKMS, and we decided we would hold a fund-raising event.”

All proceeds made from the couple’s event, which takes place on July 13 from 11am and 2pm, will be split down the middle for the two charities. All money for Blue Skies Hospitals Fund will go towards the children’s ward.

Louise added: “We’ve got some really good raffle prizes, and if this goes well, I think this is something which we will repeat in the future.”

Anyone who chooses to register as a potential stem cell donor will be assisted by Louise, a practice development sister for the hospital’s children’s ward and Amith, who works as a consultant child psychiatrist based at Whitegate Drive.

Their swabs and details will be added to the register, and if a match is found they will be contacted to discuss the process.

Participants must be aged between 17 and 55 and in good health.

Louise said: “It’s really hard to find a bone marrow match, so as well as raising money this really could help save lives.

“Everyone has been so generous with donating cakes and raffle prizes so far; we’ve been overwhelmed by the local businesses who have supported us.

“We’re going to be in the main entrance at Blackpool Victoria Hospital, and everyone is welcome to come along and support us.”

Anyone wishing to bake cakes, donate prizes and purchase raffle tickets can call Louise on (01253) 956900 or email [email protected].