Baby Arthur's Miracle: Intrauterine Transfusion

0:00Stay informed, with Europe News Today, AI-powered updates. I'm Cory with the story. The UK's youngest blood transfusion recipient, baby Arthur Ransom, got life-saving help while still in the womb at just 16 weeks pregnant. His mom, Maisie, was terrified when parbovirus hit him hard, causing severe anemia and heart failure. Doctors at St. George's Hospital in London threaded a needle guided by ultrasound to deliver concentrated blood cells, avocado-sized baby and all. This insure uterine transfusion is super rare, with only about 180 units issued yearly by NHS Blood and Transplant. Donors have to be men with O-type blood, kill negative, and cytomegalovirus negative, turning their donations into tiny packs of red cells for these, vulnerable pre-immies. Maisie, a 30-year-old teacher from Surrey, calls it a 50-50 shot, but Arthur pulled through, born in January 2025, and now, thriving, hitting all his milestones like a champ

1:00She's joined forces with the blood service to shout out thanks to the top eight donors who've given the most for these procedures. Two standouts are Paul Bickley, a 45-year-old dad from Richmond, inspired by his generous mom and David Smith, a 64-year-old retiree, from Wes Mester, who's donated over 80 times total. They say it's mind-blowing to know their small acts saved a life, keeping them hooked on giving back. Experts like Dr. Anne Kelly stress the extra safety for these tiny patients, and hospital chief Dr. Lucy Etheridge says it's the line between life and loss. If this story hits you, hit upblood.co.uk to register, or blood could be the next miracle.