Nationwide blood drive saves nine-year-old with ultra-rare Rhesus type

Nine-year-old Qasim Rizwan from Bolton was diagnosed with autoimmune haemolytic anaemia, a condition that destroys red blood cells. Doctors at Manchester Children’s Hospital struggled to find a match until NHS Blood and Transplant identified his rare R-r′ subtype, found in roughly one in 10,000 people. Six frozen units were retrieved from the national blood bank in Liverpool, another was sourced from Colindale, and a living donor with the same profile was contacted.

The blood, some as old as the boy himself, was transfused alongside steroids and immunoglobulin, stabilising his condition. After about three weeks of treatment, Qasim was discharged and later visited the frozen blood bank with his family, expressing gratitude to the donors and staff. His mother, Mahnaz Nazar, has since become a donor herself, highlighting the critical role of rare-type donations.