Bloody legends: Cork twins celebrate 18th birthday with blood donation party

Eva and Una Brice from Bishopstown, who owe their lives to blood donations, used their birthday, World Blood Donor Day, to encourage young people to donate blood once they turn 18

Eva, left, and Una celebrated their 18th birthday with their parents Pamela and Brendan Brice and their brother Joe with Dr Joan Power, and Oonagh Gilligan, consultant haematologists at the Cork Blood Donor Clinic at St Finbarr's in Cork. Picture: Eddie O'Hare

It’s the best 18th birthday present she could ever give her identical twin sister — passing on the gift of life to someone else.

Eva Brice fulfilled a lifelong promise to her twin Una on their special birthday on Tuesday by taking the first step on the road to becoming a blood donor.

The girls, who owe their lives to blood donations, also used their birthday, World Blood Donor Day, to encourage young people to donate blood once they turn 18.

Eva said: “Young people need to start donating because we are the next generation and if we don’t start doing it at a young age, we might never do it.

“I wouldn’t have a twin sister or a mom without it so just go out and do it. It’s a tiny pinch and then it’s over.” 

She was speaking at the Irish Blood Transfusion Service (IBTS) donor clinic at St Finbarr’s Hospital in Cork on Tuesday where she got her haemoglobin checked while her dad, Brendan, donated blood just hours before hosting the girls’ birthday party at home in Bishopstown.

The twins were joined at the clinic by their mum Pamela and brother Joe, where they all spoke of the impact blood donors have had on their lives.

Eva and Una were born prematurely on June 14, 2004, in the former Erinville Hospital and needed emergency treatment after developing twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome — Eva had too much blood, Una had too little.

Una required three transfusions at birth while Pamela also required a blood transfusion.

“The worst could’ve happened because my wife needed a blood transfusion to get through the birth and then one of my daughters needed a blood transfusion to live,” he said.

It was traumatic enough but we now have two beautiful 18-year-old daughters, healthy and full of life, and our lives would’ve been totally different without the gift that blood donors gave us all those years ago."

Brendan encouraged people to donate blood if they can.

“I gave my first blood donation in college when I was 18 and then I suppose life got in the way and I didn’t donate for several years.

“But when my daughters were born and I saw the benefits that blood could give first-hand it prompted me to start donating again and I have been donating since.

“I would encourage everyone who can donate blood to donate.

“Blood is one of the few things that can’t be manufactured.

“We are all dependent on donors and we all hear the calls every now and again about the shortages of blood. They are not false calls.

“They are real calls, there is a short supply of blood in the system and it is very important that we have enough donors to keep the stocks up."

 

Pamela described it as a fundamental gift and said she had always been extremely thankful to the IBTS that they are all here to tell the story.

“I would be dead, as would Una, but for this service. It’s as simple as that,” she said.

Una, who can’t donate because she received a transfusion, represents Ireland in athletics and is the national junior pole vaulting record holder.

She has set her sights on qualifying for the world and the European junior athletics championships next year, and has the 2028 Olympics on her radar.

Eva, who has had a lot of surgeries and medical interventions in recent years, said she was just thankful now to be able to do something for someone else by finally becoming a blood donor.

IBTS staff threw a small 18th birthday party for the twins at the clinic as Brendan donated blood before they all headed home to celebrate with family and friends.

Julianne Kelly, the IBTS donor services manager, said staff were delighted to celebrate with them.

“It’s just lovely to acknowledge how far they’ve come,” she said.

“And it’s a great way to highlight how important blood donation is. We are in summer season, people are travelling again and are out of country but demand for blood is really high and pressure to maintain stocks continues.” 

You can get details on becoming a blood donor by visiting giveblood.ie and completing an eligibility quiz.