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Award-winning Box Tree chef raises the steaks for blood doning
THE Chef at Ilkley's Box Tree restaurant, Simon Gueller, took time out to cook up an iron-rich treat with a very special youngster to highlight the importance of giving blood this summer.
He was joined in the kitchen of his Michelin-starred restaurant in Church Street, by nine-year-old Matthew Whiley, who owes his life to blood and platelet donations, after he was diagnosed with Hepatoblastoma, a rare childhood liver cancer.
The Lightcliffe Primary School pupil needed to receive the blood and platelets throughout his chemotherapy and surgery and now, fully recovered, is helping the National Blood Service (NBS) highlight the fact it needs 249,000 blood donations in Yorkshire and the North East, each year.
Dressed up in his very own chef's whites emblazoned with the message "Save a life and give blood" Matthew was shown how to cook a steak - a food rich in iron - also to highlight the importance of eating an iron-rich diet to help maintain healthy blood and make every donation count.
Mr Gueller said: "The blood of one in 20 people who take the time to donate can't be used because there is not enough iron in it.
"It is hard enough to get people to give blood as it is, without it being wasted. If you are going to give blood make sure you eat lots of leafy vegetables and red meat."
Blood stocks traditionally dip at this time of year as regular donors go on holiday so the NBS is appealing to them, and non-donors, to think about giving blood this summer before they go away and save the lives of patients like Matthew.
The youngster - who lives in Lightcliffe, near Brighouse, with his parents Angela and Mark and seven-year-old sister Libby - fell ill at the age of two. The diagnosis of cancer was a huge shock for the family, who lived in Germany at the time as Mark was in the Army. They had to relocate to London where Matthew had his life-saving treatment.
"As a result of the chemotherapy he needed blood transfusions and platelet transfusions, " said Angela, 39, who is a donor herself, while Mark 41, donates platelets. "He needed between 20 and 30 units, plus what was used during the operation.
"I was a blood donor before I had the children, as my mum had always given blood, but without a real understanding of the broad range of people it can help. It did not occur to me it is needed by cancer patients."
While he hasn't given blood himself yet, Simon said after meeting Matthew he would change that.
"Matthew is an inspiration, " he said. "Other people's blood has saved his life - he is such a great kid. I have children and I think it is naive to think you will go through life not needing blood."
For more information about giving blood call 08457 711 711 or visit blood. co. uk. Donors need to be between 17 and 60 years old, weigh more than 7st 12lbs and be in general good health.
8:28am Thursday 24th July 2008
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