A PINK blood bike carrying the name of a beloved Stalybridge teenager will soon be travelling across Greater Manchester, helping volunteers deliver vital medical supplies.
The bike has been purchased for Greater Manchester Blood Bikes by Maisie Moo’s Missions, in memory of Maisie Almond, who died aged just 14 in October 2024.
The lifelong Manchester City fan became desperately ill after developing an extremely rare form of acute liver failure.
She was rushed to a specialist unit in Leeds, where doctors found a donor for a life-saving liver transplant. But Maisie had become too weak to undergo the gruelling 12-hour operation and died.
Her parents have since founded Maisie Moo’s Missions, determined to create a lasting legacy for their daughter and make the life-saving process of donating blood and organs more accessible.
The charity has now purchased a mission bike for Greater Manchester Blood Bikes (GMBB), allowing its volunteers to carry out more vital medical deliveries across the region.
The bike was unveiled last Saturday (September 5) at Trafford Padel Club during a charity tournament, where it was also on display for the first time. Trafford Mayor Cllr Simon Thomas attended to show his support.
GMBB’s volunteers transport blood, plasma, platelets, medical samples, vaccines, donor breast milk and other urgently required medical items to hospitals and healthcare sites, including out of hours, at weekends and on bank holidays.
The charity currently has more willing volunteers than bikes available for them to use, meaning some people ready to give their time cannot always get out on the road.
Maisie’s bike will help provide another vehicle for those volunteers, supporting more life-saving journeys across Greater Manchester.
Its distinctive pink colour was chosen in tribute to Maisie, whose favourite colour it was. The bike has been fully wrapped in the charity’s branding and is believed to be the first collaboration of its kind for GMBB.
Maisie Moo’s Missions said the bike could also be involved in delivering blood to North West Air Ambulance Charity’s base at Barton Aerodrome.
In a statement, the charity said: “Despite everyone’s very best efforts, and what felt like a billion prayers, we couldn’t save our beautiful daughter. But now, Maisie’s bike will be out there helping to save others in her name.”
They added: “We need to take something utterly devastating and create something positive from it. Something that keeps Maisie’s name out there, makes a genuine difference and becomes another part of her lasting legacy.”
The charity thanked everyone who had donated, fundraised or supported its work, saying the bike had been made possible because of them.
“When you see Maisie’s pink bike out on the roads carrying out vital missions, please know that you have played a part in putting it there,” it said. “Our beautiful girl, our inspiration, our Moo. Always.”