'I had to prepare Millie for the possibility that Mum wouldn’t be there on Christmas Day,' says Kelly Butler, 34, from Aberdeen. 'It was really tough.'

Just weeks before Christmas last year, Kelly’s world turned upside down. 'I was on holiday in August when I stopped being able to swallow properly. It turned out I had a tumour pressing on my oesophagus. By Halloween, I was in chemotherapy. Everything happened so fast - three biopsies, an operation, and then straight into treatment.'

The diagnosis was Hodgkin's Lymphoma. 'At the time, I was numb. You don’t have the privilege to think too much - you just do everything you can to save your life. I've got a little girl at home who can’t lose her mum.'

I used to think donations were just for emergencies, but they’re a lifeline for cancer patients too. Kelly Butler

By mid-December Kelly was in hospital. 'I was away from Millie for 10 days, which is the longest I’ve ever been away from her,' she says. 'It was pretty tough, and I made the decision not to have her come into the hospital because things were already scary enough for her – me losing my hair and being unwell. I just didn’t want her to see anything.”

'I was exhausted. I'd lost so much weight, couldn’t keep food down, and even having a shower would knock the stuffing out of me.'

Kelly had one goal: 'I really wanted to see my daughter in the Christmas panto. I spoke to my consultant and they said that if I wanted to get out of the hospital and be an outpatient, a blood transfusion could really help me finish that round of chemo.'

'I've always been a blood donor, but when they come through with this bag of another person’s blood and put it up, it's very weird – that this one other person had made this huge difference to me.'

The effect was dramatic. 'From before the transfusion to after it was like two different Kelly’s. That transfusion meant I could finish my treatment and get home.'

'I managed to get out on her last day – two days before Christmas. I got out and I managed to go to her last performance.'

Kelly's gratitude runs deep. 'Now I've received blood, I think about that person who donated it and I just think thank God for them. They gave me the strength to keep fighting and to be with my daughter. That’s priceless.'

She wants donors to know how vital they are. 'I used to think donations were just for emergencies, but they’re a lifeline for cancer patients too. Transfusions enable people to finish chemo, to get back to normal life, to do the school run again. It's a massive deal.'

This Christmas feels different. 'Last year, I didn’t know if I’d make it home. This year, I can’t wait to be there for every moment. If you can give blood, please do. People like you can change lives this Christmas.'

• This December, Scotland needs people like you to give blood. Make an appointment online today, or give us a ring on 0345 90 90 999 (Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm)