The heart of Canadian Blood Services and the Canadian blood supply are the ‘regulars’ – the people who give blood regularly at donor clinics, held at locations that include Holy Martyrs of Japan Church and St. John’s Presbyterian Church in Bradford.
The monthly clinic at St. John’s is usually held on a Tuesday, from 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. On Aug. 27, the Canadian Blood Services truck outside the church, lawn signs, and a full parking lot were indicators that a blood donor clinic was underway.
“We’re busy,” said Clinic Supervisor Debbie Dunn. “This clinic meets goals. We have a goal of 58 (units) tonight.”
In fact, 75 people had booked an appointment to give blood on Tuesday – but there are always cancellations and deferrals, Dunn noted, as the process involves careful screening.
Among those who came out to give blood was Cheryll Strong, donating for the 46th time.
Strong said she had actually stopped for a while. “I overheard people talking one time, saying that if you’re over 65 and you haven’t kept up your donations, they won’t take your blood,” she said. Since ill health had interrupted her donations, she assumed she was no longer eligible to donate.
“That wasn’t true,” Strong said – and now she’s back and a regular donor.
Ferguson Mobbs is also a regular, giving blood for the 49th time.
He started donating after he was diagnosed with hemochromatosis – a rare condition that causes the body to retain too much iron. Part of the treatment can include giving blood – perfectly safe and acceptable, as long as there are no liver complications, according the Canadian Blood Services.
“I’m looking forward to my big 5-0,” Mobbs said, as he relaxed in a chair.
Donors ranged from seniors, to young adults - like Jacqueline Brouckxon.
Brouckxon was donating for the “20-somethingth” time. “I started in high school. There was a blood drive at my high school (Bradford District),” she said. “I realized it was easy to give.”
That’s the message that Canadian Blood Services wants to send to Canadians: it’s easy to give – and “there’s always a need for blood,” said Dunn.
Cancer patients, transplant patients, trauma victims may need life-saving blood transfusions at any time and donations ensure that the supply is there when it is needed.
“We need every type of blood, but O Negative is a big one for us,” said Dunn. Type O negative is the ‘universal donor,’ she said. “It can be taken in an emergency without being tested.”
Donors who give regularly – whole blood can be donated every 56 days by healthy males, every 84 days by females in good health - generally meet the demand. If supplies are running low or there is an emergency, a call may go out to try to generate more donations and attract more first-time donors.
Last year, Canadian Blood Services launched a campaign to attract more first-time donors and young people over the minimum age of 17 – a campaign that was successful, said Dunn.
“I think what’s helped us is we’ve started with computers and there’s an app for the phone,” she said –things that have helped connect with young potential donors.
There’s also a special drive this September, coinciding with Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, that hopefully will inspire more first-time donors.
Families affected by childhood cancers and childhood cancer survivors will be attending blood donor clinics across Canada to share their stories and thank donors for giving the gift of life.
The goal is to make people aware of the need for blood and blood products, not just by adult patients, but by children battling disease, said Dunn. According to the CBS website, on average it takes up to five blood donors to help one child undergoing cancer treatment – and up to eight donors each week, to help a child with leukemia.
By linking the blood donor clinics to Childhood Cancer Awareness month, “it gives people the knowledge of why they’re giving blood, and who gets it. It goes to a lot of children,” Dunn said.
For more information on the need for blood, plasma, platelets and stem cells; eligibility to donate; or to book an appointment to donate blood, click here or call 1-888-2-DONATE.
The next Blood Donor Clinic in Bradford will take place Sept. 11 at Holy Martyrs of Japan Catholic Church, 167 Essa Road. The next clinic at St. John’s Presbyterian Church is on Oct. 29.