Blood bike donated in teen's memory helps save lives

The parents of a Stalybridge teenager who died while waiting for a liver transplant said a blood bike donated in her memory has helped save lives.

Maisie Almond was 14 when she died of liver failure in 2024, two weeks after first complaining of a stomach ache.

Despite being matched with a donor, she became too ill for a transplant to go ahead.

Her family have since set up Maisie Moo's Missions in her memory and raised enough money to donate a motorbike to Greater Manchester Blood Bikes.

Kathryn said: "It's something we'll never come to terms with. We're just so sad that she's been robbed of her life when she could have done so much good. We've been robbed of seeing her achieve everything she wanted to."

Stuart said the family wanted to create a positive legacy in Maisie's memory.

"Maisie would have needed a lot of blood for a liver transplant, so after her death we decided we wanted to do something that would help save people's lives," he said.

The motorbike has joined Greater Manchester Blood Bikes' fleet of 15 vehicles and covered 600 miles in its first week alone.

Dave Parsons, from Greater Manchester Blood Bikes, said: "One of the things we have to do is continually replace the motorcycles because the fleet turns over very quickly and they do a lot of miles.

"Every additional bike gives us additional capacity. It means we can take on more jobs. Just when we think demand has peaked, we find there is more need for our services."

The bike is thought to be the first bloodbike in the UK to feature charity branding.

Stuart said: "Pink was Maisie's favourite colour, so it had to be pink. We want it to be a talking point and raise awareness of the charity."

The North West Air Ambulance Charity said it had carried out 103 blood transfusions between 1 January and 1 October 2026.

Andrew Duncan, the charity's lead HEMS paramedic, said: "It's phenomenal. It's genuinely lifesaving work.

"We've seen the blood in action and it doesn't just appear. There's a huge network behind it, and that includes Greater Manchester Blood Bikes and now Maisie Moo's Missions.

"It's life-changing work that these people are doing."

For Maisie's parents, the bike is a lasting legacy to their daughter.

Kathryn said: "The response has taken our breath away, thinking of all those people Maisie has helped."

Stuart added: "When the bike left for the first time and the ignition was turned on, it showed 14 miles on the dashboard. That's how old Maisie was when she died.

"If that isn't a sign, I don't know what is."

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