An electrical engineer from Alderley Edge will be donating his 50th pint of blood next month in aid of the British Heart Foundation.
Mike O'Rourke, 64, will be making his 50th blood donation in Poynton on 5th July, and dedicating it in memory and honour of his mother, Eleanor Margaret Edwards, who died 45 years ago from heart disease.
Mike, who lives on Duke Street, explained "I started giving blood when I was 20. I was living in Madrid at the time and being a bit hard up, I went with a friend to the hospital where they paid you to give blood - so not so altruistic then! But later that year when I got back to the UK I decided to continue to donate as I realised it was a valuable thing to do.
"I've not been consistent and there have been years when I didn't go but of late I've been working towards my target. I wanted to mark it in a way which would do more than just give me a little medal so I considered that the British Heart Foundation could not be a more appropriate cause, particularly as it was heart disease which caused my mother's death at the age of 46. I thought it would be a fitting tribute to her.
"I'm hoping that the occasion will encourage many people to contribute and hopefully to start donating blood."
Visit Mike O'Rourke's JustGiving page to make a donation and see his progress.
