Teenage cancer survivor urges more people to donate blood after receiving over 40 lifesaving transfusions

A teenage cancer survivor from Cardiff is sharing her story in the hope of inspiring more people to become lifesavers with the Welsh Blood Service this World Cancer Day (Wednesday 4 February).

Seventeen-year-old Mia Harris‑Jones was diagnosed with T‑Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia (ALL) in 2023. ALL is an aggressive form of blood cancer that develops rapidly in the bone marrow.

Mia first became unwell with severe stomach pains, sickness and fatigue, later noticing unexplained bruising and rashes. As her health worsened, her mother Jade took her to hospital with suspected meningitis. After several days of tests and scans, Mia received the life‑changing diagnosis of ALL. The cancer had spread to her lymph nodes by the time she was diagnosed, and a large mass of cancerous cells had grown around her spinal cord, leaving doctors no choice but to begin immediate, aggressive chemotherapy.

Throughout her treatment, Mia received over 40 blood and platelet transfusions, each one vital in keeping her healthy enough to continue her chemotherapy.

Reflecting on her experience, Mia said: “During my leukaemia treatment, I needed so many blood and platelet transfusions, it was difficult to keep count. Those donations came from people I’ll probably never meet, but they made a huge difference. Blood donors helped keep me strong enough to carry on.
"Leukaemia changes how you see the world. It teaches you that your life can depend on the kindness of strangers, and I’m incredibly thankful for everyone who chooses to donate and help someone like me.”

During her time at Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospital, Mia became a supportive 'big sister' to many of the younger patients on the oncology unit. Her commitment to raising awareness of childhood and teenage cancer has taken her from sharing her story online to speaking at the Senedd. Her efforts were acknowledged with a finalist place for Young Volunteer of the Year 2025 at the Welsh Charity Awards.

Her mother, Jade, added: “As a parent of a child who’s undergone treatment for leukaemia, I’ve seen firsthand how vital blood donations are. Transfusions are a regular and essential part of treatment, helping our children stay strong enough to keep fighting.
"To everyone who donates blood or platelets, thank you for giving families like ours hope.”

Mia has received her final dose of chemotherapy and is hoping to ring the bell soon to mark the end of her treatment.

Alan Prosser, Director of the Welsh Blood Service, said: “Stories like Mia’s show the true value of donating, not only to the patient receiving the transfusion but also to their families and loved ones.”

While many blood cancer patients receive chemotherapy and medication, for some, the only potential cure is a stem cell transplant. The Welsh Blood Service aims to recruit 6,000 volunteers aged 16 to 30 or 16 to 45 from a black, Asian, mixed or minority ethnic background to join its stem cell registry each year.

Alan continued: "Sadly, three in ten patients worldwide don’t find the stem cell match they desperately need. That number is even higher, seven in ten, for patients from Black, Asian, mixed or minority ethnic backgrounds. We urgently need more volunteers from these communities to join our panel of lifesavers.

“We’re working hard to recruit more people to our stem cell registry, either when they donate blood or by requesting a swab kit through our website. Kits are delivered straight to your door, making joining the register easier than ever before."