Dubai school launches urgent appeal for blood to save pupil's life

Young child called Oliver described as 'special and brave student'

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES, 05 SEPTEMBER 2015. Members of the public wait to donate blood at the Latifa Hospital in Zabeel. (Photo: Antonie Robertson/The National) Journalist: None. Section: National. *** Local Caption *** AR_0509_Blood_Donation-06.JPG

An English school in Dubai has launched an urgent appeal for blood donations to help save a pupil’s life.

Ian Wallace, headteacher of Horizon English School, sent a letter to parents this week in the hope of assisting a young boy called Oliver.

In the letter, he urged anyone who can to “step forward for this very worthy cause”.

He described Oliver as “our very special and brave student”, but warned he was fighting for his life and in “critical need of blood”.

“It is with a very heavy heart that we are reaching out to the Horizon community, in an urgent plea, for a beloved student of Horizon,” he wrote.

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“His [Oliver’s] blood bank is running short of the life-saving blood platelets [cell fragments which help the body form clots to stop bleeding], and in organising this initiative, we are hopeful that we will be able to help enrich his blood bank capacity.”

Mr Wallace noted that the private school, which caters for pupils between 3 and 11 years old, held an initial blood donation drive for the pupil earlier this year and received an “overwhelming response”.

He urged anyone connected to the school to pass on his message to help Oliver “at a time when he needs it most”.

Eligible donors are asked to contact the school's nurse via email or visit the Dubai Blood Donation Centre at Latifa Hospital.

Almost anyone between the ages of 18 and 65 can donate. “When donating, please mention that the donation is for Oliver at Horizon English School,” Mr Wallace said.