Milford Haven posties bone marrow gives hope to French woman

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A Milford Haven postman who has a phobia of needles and blood has donated his bone marrow to save a woman in France.

Philip Horn, aged 41, told how bone marrow was removed from inside his hip bone in the operation last Thursday and reached the French patient within 24 hours.

“Part of her will be forever Welsh now — I hope she’s cheering for us today!” he said.

The postman, who admits that his wife has had to escort him from cinemas during gory films in the past, insists that being a donor was “an honour and a wonderful opportunity”.

“My father has donated up to 80 pints of blood,” said Philip.

“It was seeing him give his 50th pint that inspired me to go for it. Also, I thought that giving blood might help conquer my fears.”

It was at a routine blood donor session that Philip decided to go on the bone marrow register. Nine years later he received a phone call.

He said: “Your chances of being called up as a donor are about a million to one.

“I had to go for tests at Robert Street Surgery first, then I had to go to Llandough Hospital in Cardiff for more tests and counselling and the Spire Hospital in Cardiff for the procedure.”

Philip and his wife stayed in a hotel while the procedure took place and co-ordinators made sure that he paid for nothing, including food, accommodation and even spa facilities.

The co-ordinators are also making daily phone calls to check his recovery.

When asked if the operation had left him in pain, the dad-of-two said: “Everyone said I’d feel like I’d been kicked in the back by a horse but it’s nothing a couple of pain killers hasn’t sorted out.”

He added: “I think the woman may have needed the bone marrow quite urgently because the procedure was moved forward a couple of days. I just wish I’d been at her bedside when they told her she had a match.”