About
Welcome to Milkshakes for Marleigh Community
Where those who have needed blood thank their donors
and encourage new ones
Here you will find extraordinary stories of survival thanks to Australian blood donors. If you have ever been a donor you can wonder you saved, improved or longed the life of the people who feature in the stories we tell across the Milkshakes for Marleigh platforms
Kate Fisher is the Founder of Milkshakes for Marleigh and Australia’s primary blood donation advocate. She she is on a mission to end persistent critical blood shortages in Australia and around the world.
Lives saved in 2024
Whole Blood Donors
Plasma Donors
Platelets Donors
Stream the podcast from every major platform
Meet your host
Kate Fisher
Best selling author and award winning postcast host
Kate is the host and producer of The Milkshakes for Marleigh Podcast where she tells the survival stories of blood product recipients. This is her creative solution to the social problem that not enough people donate blood. Only 1 in 30 Australians donate blood and yet 1 in 3 will need it in their lifetime. Kate is on a mission to change that, while thanking as many blood donors as she can along the way. You can find the Milkshakes for Marleigh podcast on your favourite podcast platform.
Kate is a mother at the helm of a family with additional needs. Kate has four children, three of them are living and like her, they have various complex medical conditions, physical and neurodevelopmental disabilities. She is helplessly in love with her husband Geoff and adores navigating their crazy, challenging, joy filled life together.
Kate was initially inspired by her daughter Marleigh who became unwell at the age of three and was eventually diagnosed with Seronegative Paediatric Autoimmune Encephalitis. This is a life-threatening condition with no cure, however treatment is possible with Intravenous Immunoglobulin Infusions (IVIG) made from donated human plasma. For Marleigh this treatment is lifesaving during the acute phases of her illness and life preserving for every infusion in between. Marleigh will be dependent on blood donors for life. She is now eight-years-old and has blown out five bonus set of birthday candles thanks to Australian blood donors. Kate encourages people to donate blood for the Milkshakes for Marleigh Lifeblood team so she can track the number of donations made by people inspired by Marleigh’s incredible story of survival.
Please book your donation here today! Those outside Australia can share their stories and blood donations via the Milkshakes for Marleigh social media channels.
Available in bookstores June 2024
Extraordinary tales of survival
thanks to Australian blood donors
In 2024, Kate published her first book called Milkshakes for Marleigh which tells extraordinary tales of survival thanks to Australian blood donors. Like the podcast, the concept of the book is that if you have ever been a blood donor, you can read a story in the book and wonder if you were the blood donor who saved their life?
It is her most recent tool in her blood donation advocacy and will be available in all good bookstores in June 2024.
Donate Blood Today
Shakes for Jakes
Lifeblood subteam for Kate’s Brother
Since founding Milkshakes for Marleigh in 2021, Kate’s brother Jake has also become a regular whole blood, platelet and plasma recipient as he undergoes treatment for Lymphoma. This has included many rounds of chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant. Jake is currently recovering on his farm near Coffs Harbour in New South Wales, spending days with his wife Suzanne and two beautiful little girls Evie and Abbigail spending days swimming in their pool, chasing chooks and riding their ponies all thanks to having his life saved and prolonged by Australian blood donors. His family now encourages people to donate blood for the Lifeblood Team: #ShakesforJake is a subteam of The Milkshakes for Marleigh Lifeblood Team.
What others say
Testimonials
milkshakes_for_marleigh
The @milkshakes_for_marleigh book is making its way around Australia and the globe, thanking blood donors and encouraging new ones!
In this reel you will seeing it:
Melbourne, Victoria
Bondi, Sydney
Hidden Vale, Queensland
Coonar/Bundaberg
Windsor, United Kingdom
Brisbane & Sunshine Coast/ Queensland
Moonee Beach, NSW
Where have you been reading your copy?
#bookstagram #milkshakesformarleigh #bestseller #whatsonyourchristmaslist #blooddonation #advocacy
@saltireads @lifebloodau @kmdbooks @harryhartogbookseller @qbdbooks @spicershiddenvale @goddessintheboardroom @foylesforbooks
@milkshakes_for_marleigh is featured in this weeks @thatslifeau magazine!
Grab a copy of this weeks That’s Life magazine to read more about Marleigh’s Autoimmune Encephalitis remarkable story of survival thanks to Australian plasma donors!
This article shares my motivations for starting my blood donation advocacy, The Milkshakes for Marleigh podcast and the release of my first book earlier this year called Milkshakes for Marleigh where I tell extraordinary tales of survival thanks to Australian blood donors. It is available at all good bookstores NOW or please purchase online.
#milkshakesformarleigh #book #podcast #bestsellingauthor #magazine #feature #thatslife #thatslifemagazine #thatslifeau @thatslifeau @lifebloodau @kmdbooks #blooddonation #blooddonorssavelives #buyabook #supportbookstores #aussiestories #australianstory
Congratulations @condosrachel on an outstanding night tonight for @wattlenest Gala!
Such an incredible celebration of some of Australia’s most talented athletes and the community the comes together to support their pursuits.
@green_ant_rant & I had the BEST night out together making new friend and catching up wit old friend ones.
#wattlenest #athleteempowerment #milkshakes #milkshakesformarleigh @bboybenmx @al.viney @libby_trickett @amy_hall_banksia @h.i__m.e.l #m@m@m@@@the_invincable_woman #olmpians
Please make your appointment to donate blood, plasma or platelets right NOW!
You can gift people like Marleigh a future filled with fun, adventures, family and mischief rather than living in hospital, fighting to stay alive.
As International Plasma Awareness Week comes to a close we thank the Australian plasma donors who have gifted Marleigh 5 bonus years. Without their generous, anonymous donations we wouldn’t get our days with her!
To read more stories like Marleigh’s grab a copy of the @milkshakes_for_marleigh book today! It makes an excellent gift for young adults right through to those hard to buy for Grandparents! With Christmas just around the corner you can support my blood donation advocacy by using the book as a corporate gift, secret Santa present or making sure it’s under the tree for friends and family!
Purchase via www.milkshakesformarleigh.org or all major bookstores. (Link in bio) 🥤💗🦓
#milkshakesformarleigh #internationalplasmaawarenessweek #lifebloodau #podcast #bookstagram #books #booklover #book #storyteller #survivalstories #australianstory #blooddonation #family #daughter #sister #cousin @kmdbooks @lifebloodau
International Plasma Awareness Week!
BEFORE (and during) PHOTO:
Marleigh spent much of the first 2 years that she was unwell, in hospital. Often for months at a time and sometimes in Sydney, which was over 3 hours from Canberra, where our family lived at that time. This meant that much of the time we spent together as a family was in hospital rooms, while Marleigh received Intravenous Immunoglobulin Infusion (IVIG), made from donated plasma.
AFTER/NOW PHOTO:
After receiving IVIG, Marleigh’s health started to stabilise and she spent much less time in hospital. This is a photo taken on a recent family holiday. We are so grateful for this time together, which has been gifted to us by Australian plasma donors.
#internationalplasmaawarenessweek #ipaw2024 #milkshakesformarleigh #beforeandafter #ivig #autoimmune #autoimmuneencephalitis #autoimmuneencephalitissurvivor #servicedog #assistancedog #seizureresponsedog #chocolatelab #chocolatelabsofinstagram #chocolatelaboftheday #plasmadonor #family #highneedsparenting #additionalneeds @brighterdayau @thecarersclub @lifebloodau @schf.kids @sydneykids_ #sydney #canberra @queenslandchildrenshospital @qbdbooks
