A MOTHER whose child needs regular life-saving blood transfusions has appealed for more black and Asian donors to step forward.

At the moment, black and Asian people only account for 3.5 per cent of all active donors, despite making up nearly eight per cent of the population. Sobia Afridi, from Marston, Oxford, wants that to increase.

Her adopted daughter Sabrena, five, whom she rescued from a Pakistani orphanage, has thalassaemia, an incurable blood disease which prevents her body producing enough haemoglobin which can lead to life-threatening anaemia.

Each month, she undergoes a blood transfusion.

Mrs Afridi, who along with her husband Amjad, both 40, regularly donate blood, said: “I am not sure why it is there tends to be fewer black and Asian donors.

“I don’t think it is a religious thing. I think it’s cultural.

“I know in Pakistan, very poor people can sell their blood, so maybe it comes from that.”

The National Blood Service has launched the VIP Appeal to attract more ethnic minorities.

Specific blood groups are more common among people from the black African, Caribbean and South Asian communities, and certain medical conditions which require regular blood transfusions are also more common in these communities, including sickle cell anaemia, and thalassaemia.

Mrs Afridi – who was featured in yesterday’s Oxford Mail after winning her battle to allow Sabrena to have a life-transforming drug on the NHS – is backing our Gift of Life campaign to sign up 1,000 new donors.

She said: “Without blood donors, Sabrena would have died. It’s as simple as that.

“More people need to join up so more lives like Sabrena’s can be saved.”

Zeeshan Asghar, spokes- man for the National Blood Service, said: “We need more donors from the black and Asian minority communities to step forward and give blood.

“By giving blood, you can really help make a difference and there is a particular need for patients suffering from blood disorders prevalent within the black and Asian communities.

“So please don’t leave it to someone else.”

To join the Oxford Mail campaign and give the gift of life today, go to the form through the related link below this story.