An expat teacher with a rare blood type was saved yesterday thanks to the joint efforts of the city's medical staff and fellow expats.

Mary Nurre, a 54-year-old American working for Concordia International School Shanghai, was in critical condition when she arrived at Shanghai East Hospital yesterday morning after feeling sick at home and calling an ambulance. Doctors found she had a ruptured spleen and had suffered a massive blood hemorrhage.

The hospital immediately called Shanghai Blood Center for help because of her Rh negative blood type, which is found only among 0.3 percent of Chinese but 10 to 15 percent of Caucasians.

The center had 1,200 milliliters of Rh negative A blood and collaborated with the patient's school and other international schools and communities to call for blood donations.

Seven expats donated a total of 2,800 milliliters of Rh negative A type blood to enable surgeons to operate to repair her ruptured spleen.

"The patient is in stable condition, thanks to the timely support from the local blood center and these expats," said hospital official Wang Yingying.

Officials from Shanghai Blood Center said it always encouraged expats to donate, to know their blood types and to join a volunteer group for people who have rare blood types.

"With the arrival of Shanghai World Expo, the city will have a large number of foreign visitors and the storage and collection of rare blood types is very important," said Lu Yao, a center official.

"We are making work plans for rare blood preparation and want more people, both Chinese and expats, with such blood to make donations or make contact with us to join the club."