‘I never thought it would be possible’: Blood transfusion patient’s pride at London Marathon

A woman who relies on blood transfusions every two weeks has spoken of her pride in finishing the London Marathon – a feat she previously thought was impossible.

Thalassaemia patient Chloë Adlerstein, from Blackheath, took part in the 26.2 mile race on Sunday to raise vital funds for UK Thalassaemia Society. 

The 32-year-old raised £2,708 for the charity, surpassing her ambitious £2,000 target.

Speaking after the marathon, she said: “I’m still on cloud nine and am absolutely elated by what I have achieved!”

Thalassaemia is an inherited blood disorder that affects the body’s ability to produce normal haemoglobin, resulting in too little oxygen in the bloodstream. Symptoms include extreme tiredness and shortness of breath.  

Ms Adlerstein had lived with Beta thalassaemia all her life, but it wasn’t until the age of 17 when the condition was identified by a random blood test. 

Doctors realised that throughout her whole life she had been functioning on less than half the oxygen of a regular person. 

Over the years, Ms Adlerstein has become increasingly reliant on regular blood transfusions and since 2023, she has attended the Macmillan Cancer Unit at University College London Hospital to receive two to three units of blood every two weeks. 

The account manager said: “I am eternally grateful to all the kind souls who take time out of their busy lives to donate blood, to enable people like me to live a somewhat normal, healthy, happy life. 

“Without them I would never have been able to even consider running, let alone complete a marathon!”

For the first half of the race, Ms Adlerstein said she felt as if she was “running on air”, carried by the buzz of the estimated 800,000 supporters cheering from the sidelines.

She said: “From mile 18 I began to struggle a little, the part around Canary Wharf seemed to go on forever, and I began to feel the beginning of hitting a wall. 

“I was starting to feel the fatigue in my body and legs, and the dehydration beginning to set in. 

“But I forced myself to remember all the reasons I was doing this, told myself it was only a few more miles of strain and then I would be able to look back and be so proud of myself for all I achieved!”

Crossing the finish line, Ms Adlerstein said she was hit by a rush of emotions.

She said: “I was filled with relief, pure joy, shock and was ultimately just so proud of myself for what I just did! 

“I was handed my medal and I instantly burst into tears. It’s very hard to put into words all of the feelings that came up, it’s been such a special journey for me signing up to this challenge and running this Marathon for my condition.

“It’s something I thought before would never be possible for me.”

Currently two-thirds of the blood collected across England is used to treat those with ongoing conditions, such as blood disorders and cancer. 

There is an urgent need to build blood stocks after the Easter break. NHS Blood and Transplant is urging more donors to come forward and help fill appointments. 

There is a particular need for O negative, O positive and B negative blood types, as well as more donors of Black heritage who are most likely to have the much-needed RO subtype used to treat patients with sickle cell.  

Dee Thiruchelvam, Chief Nursing Officer for NHS Blood and Transplant, said: “It is incredible to see Chloë being able to take part in such a physically challenging event as the London Marathon – especially knowing that this simply wouldn’t be possible without the amazing blood donors who ensure that the blood is there when patients like Chloë need it.”

There are still thousands of appointments available to fill, with greatest availability at NHS donor centres situated across the capital. 

To book an appointment to give blood, please download the Give Blood app, visit: www.blood.co.uk or call 0300 123 23 23. 

To sponsor Chloë please go to https://2025tcslondonmarathon.enthuse.com/pf/chloe-adlerstein 

Pictured top: Chloë Adlerstein, from Blackheath, runs the London Marathon to raise funds for UK Thalassaemia Society (Picture: London Marathon 2025)