Small gift saved wee Evelyn’s life

‘‘Modern-day Highlanders play their rugby the same way – ferocious in attack, tenacious on defence.’’ Highlanders

As 13-month-old Evelyn Tupe toddles unsteadily around her parents’ living room, it is hard to believe that just under a year ago she was at death’s door.

‘‘It was serious enough that they [doctors] were like ‘Wow, she’s still alive’,’’ mum Rose Tupe said from their home in Wainuiomata, near Wellington.

She had to have open-heart surgery at only a few weeks old, and donated blood used in transfusions saved her life.

June 14 is World Blood Donor Day, and Tupe wants to take the opportunity to acknowledge those who helped save her baby, and encourage others to help save a life.

Evelyn was born with a large hole in her heart. She was only six weeks old when she started losing weight, alerting her parents that something was wrong.

She was referred to get an echocardiogram, but before an appointment was available she became very unwell, and was admitted again to hospital, where tests confirmed she would need open-heart surgery.

At Starship children’s hospital in Auckland she was on put on a bypass machine, effectively acting as her heart for four hours while surgeons got to work.

‘‘It was odd, I just had to go with it,’’ Tupe said of the experience. ‘‘I couldn’t let myself get upset because then I wouldn’t be able to function.’’

Between her time in Starship and Hutt Hospital, Evelyn was in hospital for a month. Now she has almost fully recovered, with doctors not needing to check up on her again until she’s 21⁄2.

Her mother, already a donor, has now vowed to donate as often as she can. ‘‘Donating blood to me is life and death now.’’

World Blood Donor Day was all about celebrating New Zealand’s donors, Asuka Burke, national manager of marketing and communications for the New Zealand Blood Service said.

There are about 110,000 donors in New Zealand, who between them save nearly 29,000 every year, according to Asuka Burke, national manager of marketing and communications for the New Zealand Blood Service – but more are always needed.

Donated blood was used by cancer patients, people having surgery, those injured in accidents, and patients with immunodeficiency disorders.

One donation of about 470 millilitres could save three lives.

As Evelyn toddled around, reaching for her beloved ginger cat George, her mother said if she could meet those who donated the blood that saved her daughter’s life, she’d give them ‘‘a huge hug, and a kiss’’.

‘‘I can’t even explain how grateful I am for people who do it. If they hadn’t, Evelyn wouldn’t be here today.’’