A mum whose serious illness is treated by plasma medication has visited the Reading Plasma donor centre in celebration of Plasma Donation week.

Emma Stone, 37, of Lower Earley was invited to the centre on Kings Road to show support for the 12,000 life-saving plasma donors across their three locations.

Without donors, the plasma that is used to create the ‘miracle’ immunoglobulin medicine would not be available for those 525 people from the Thames Valley area who have received the treatment.

The mum of two and beautician was diagnosed in January 2022 with the rare autoimmune disease chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy and received intensive treatment with immunoglobulin soon afterwards.

Over around six months, she went from experiencing pins and needles in her hands to frequently needing a wheelchair to leave the house.

Her immune system was attacking the nerves that send signals to her muscles.

CIPD is progressive and people can permanently lose mobility in their arm and legs.

Emma said: “The treatment was like a miracle. Within about four weeks it had made a huge difference and I could move almost normally again. It was amazing.”

“I can’t wait to visit the centre and meet some of the staff and donors. They are wonderful people; they have given my kids their mum back. I want to thank people in person, they are making such a difference.”

Paula Ussher, Reading Donor Centre Manager, said: “Our staff and donors feel very proud to actually meet someone whose life has been saved by plasma donation.

“Every donor makes a huge difference people to people like Emma who rely on medicines made from plasma to save and improve their lives.

“Giving plasma is as easy and safe as giving blood and you will be helping to make medicines to treat more than 50 diseases.”

Reading is one of the only Plasma donor centres in the UK, including Twickenham and Birmingham. This is where plasma can be recovered from normal blood donations.

England relied on solely on imported plasma medicines for more than 20 years as a precaution against vCJD but the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said in 2021 that plasma from UK donors can again be used for immunoglobulin.

Donations are frozen until the manufacturing chain is finalised this year. They will bolster long term availability of the medicine in England, giving patients more protection from international shocks and shortages.