Local
City girl joins famous faces in new campaign
A BIRMINGHAM youngster who used to suffer from leukaemia has teamed up with former Misteeq singer and I’m a Celebrity…star Sabrina Washington to launch a new campaign urging people to give blood.
Nine-year-old Bintou Keita will join a host of famous faces including Sabrina and top BBC Asian music presenter and DJ Bobby Friction to spearhead the National Blood Service’s new VIP Appeal, which has been launched to encourage new donors to step forward and donate blood as well as urge registered individuals to continue to give.
Bintou was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia at the age of just five. Following two years of intensive treatment involving chemotherapy, steroids and two vital blood transfusions which greatly reduced her recovery time, Bitnou is now living a normal life and is back at school full time. She knows more than most though, just how crucial giving blood can be to saving somebody’s life.
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After hearing of little Bintou’s plight, Sabrina Washington decided to give blood for the first time and join Bitnou in driving the campaign forward. Together Sabrina and Bintou will bring the blood donation journey to life and film an intimate one-to-one interview. Images, video footage and quotes will be used across a wide range of platforms including university activity, localised communications and online advertising.
Bintou said of the VIP Appeal campaign: “I would like people to give blood as it could help other people like me to discover a new life. Blood donors save lives and make people feel happy and have a wonderful life. Just like Sabrina, please do what it takes to change somebody's life!”
Sabrina, who is due to launch a new single this year, also added: “I decided it was important to give blood to my community as only 1% of the black community actually donates blood and until now I didn’t understand how my blood type is specific to my ethnic origin. I feel good knowing that I’m helping people like Bintou and encourage others to do the same. And it was really quick and easy.”