First-time donor steps up amongst immediate need for blood donations

Canadian Blood Services calls for new donors A donor shortage has prompted the Canadian Blood Services to put out a call for local donors to roll up their sleeves. Jeff Pickel has more.

The local chapter of the Canadian Blood Services has 50 open appointments they are looking to fill immediately ahead of what they say could be a busy long weekend at local hospitals.

“I think sometimes people forget that there are a lot of conditions people may have that require blood,” said Gin Leyva, community development manager at Canadian Blood Service.

Leyva said it’s not just accidents that are creating the demand.

“Anyone undergoing cancer treatment could require up to 8 units of blood each week,” she said.

During the pandemic, the number of regular donors shrunk to the smallest number in 10 years. This means they need people who stopped donating over the pandemic to start again.

The local shortage has also prompted a special call out for people who have never given before to do so for the first time.

“We do have an aging donor population, that’s why we need new people to step up,” said Leyva.

According to Canadian blood services they lost over 30 thousand regular donors throughout the pandemic.

“We need 100,000 new donors this year to step and give blood for the first time just to give our hospitals the blood they need,” said Levya.

LOCAL DONOR STEPS UP

A few first-time donors have answered the call to roll up their sleeves for the first time.

“They told me that O- was often used for newborns, which I thought so important. It made me feel like I was really contributing,” said Kimberly Elworthy, a first-time blood donor.

Just over a month ago, Elworthy donated for the first time as part of a large blood drive organized by Wilfrid Laurier university.

Elworthy said she had a lot of anxiety, but the clinic staff were very supportive and encouraging, leading to an overall positive experience.

“I knew there was a huge need for blood right now, so I knew donating was going o be something I wanted to do,” said Elworthy.