A MOTHER who received two blood transfusions after a complicated pregnancy is asking more people to become “modern superheroes” and donate.

Physiotherapist Jenna Jagodzinska’s life was saved after she needed 33 separate donations of blood while giving birth to her second child.

The 33-year-old who lives in Headington, cannot give blood now she has had a transfusion and said she is “frustrated” that she cannot give back what she has taken.

The mother-of-two hopes to inspire more people to become donors by endorsing the Oxford Mail’s campaign for 2,000 readers to sign up and give blood.

In January, Mrs Jagodzinska was expecting her second baby, but after a routine ultrasound at the Derriford Hospital in Plymouth, doctors found she had a rare condition called placenta accreta.

The condition can cause severe bleeding when a woman gives birth, so it was decided she would have a caesarian.

She said: “The doctors prepared blood for me as they thought that I would lose a lot of blood during the pregnancy.

“I was in intensive care and they were happy with how I was recovering.

“Eventually I was taken to a high dependency unit but later they found that I was bleeding internally.

“They had to operate again and when they opened me up they found that I had bled five litres of blood.

“I was given another transfusion and on January 22, I was sent home.

“In total, I had three times the blood that I have in circulation.”

As a result of the blood transfusions, both Mrs Jagodzinska and her four-month-old baby boy Zakary’s lives were saved.

She said: “Without that blood, me and my son could have died.

“I wish that I could go and thank all 27 people who gave blood, but that’s just not possible.”

Mrs Jagodzinska’s first pregnancy with her daughter Rosa, now two-and a-half, went off without a hitch although she had a C Section because the baby was breach.

She is a physiotherapist but is on a year’s maternity leave and is temporarily living in Oxford while her husband Nik Jagodzinski completes a year-long training placement as an orthopaedic surgeon in Oxford.

Mrs Jagodzinska began giving blood when she was studying at Manchester University.

She said: “It’s frustrating as I want to give back what I’ve received, but unfortunately I can’t.

“All I can do is tell people the importance of giving blood.

“It doesn’t take that long and every donation you make could save three people.

“It never hurt or affected me, although I know some people are different.

“You feel great afterwards and there’s no real reason not to if you’re healthy.”

* To register to donate visit blood.co.uk or call 0300 123 23 23.