Recent BA (Hons) Textile Crafts graduate Leigh Bowser has been using what she knows best to help raise awareness of DBA – Crafting!
Leigh was inspired to set up ‘The Blood Bag Project’ by her two year old niece, who suffers from Diamond Blackfan Anaemia. Unable to help her niece through blood or bone marrow donation, she set out to do something else. By crafting textile blood bags, those who want to do more now can. Participants can go to the projects website and learn about DBA, blood donation and bone marrow donation before downloading a free template of a blood bag to use as a guide to create their own bag. Bags can be crafted from any materials, be it paper, fabric, knit or stitch. Completed bags are then sent into the project, where they are documented online for the world to see!
‘The response to the project has been overwhelming. I first set it up in late February, with the aim of collecting 100 bags by the 31st August, but I was a little worried that I’d set the target too high. As it stands, the number of bags donated to date is 116! The bags have been made by people from all walks of life, ages, abilities and countries. I have bags from children and adults, Spain, America and Switzerland, as well as a whole class getting involved in Australia.’
The bags will be exhibited before eventually being sold, with all proceeds will go to charities such as DBAUK, and The Anthony Nolan Trust.
As well as bag making, the project has raised £179.50 through a prize draw and justgiving.
For more information and to see examples of the bags made and donated so far, please visit:
Website: www.wix.com/leighlalovesyou/
Blog: www.thebloodbagproject.tumblr.
Facebook: www.facebook.com/
