Canadian Blood Services needs donors as demand rises over holidays

Canadian Blood Services is looking to fill hundreds of donation appointments in Calgary between now and the end of December as the need for blood goes up over the holidays.

Pat Lepine has donated blood more than a hundred times over the past 25 years.

It all started when someone close to her needed it.

“It in fact saved that person’s life, so I thought well, if I can help a bit, I will,” she told CTV News.

That urge to give hasn’t stopped flowing out of her since.

“It’s not any kind of torture, you don’t have to look at it and it’s a very simple little prick in your arm,” Lepine said.

Lisa Castro, territory manager for Canadian Blood Services, said the organization relies on people like Lepine, especially during this time of year.

She cites a new Ipsos survey that found six out of 10 eligible donors believe giving blood or plasma over the holidays is important, but only one in 10 of them plan to book an appointment before Dec. 31.

Castro said that isn’t the only challenge.

“Winter storms, the cold and flu season, RSV, COVID and a lot of missed appointments or last-minute cancellations really impact our collections here,” she said.

The national inventory of several blood types is far below optimal, according to Canadian Blood Services.

It is looking to fill more than 25,000 appointments across Canada, including more than 1,000 in Calgary.

However, it’s no easy feat with the number of regular donors down by 31,000 since the start of the pandemic.

“We are and have been operating with one of the smallest donor bases in over a decade and we really need to change that,” Castro said.

“Every donation really counts. It really makes a difference for those people that are counting on us to make sure that we have blood products there for them when they need it.”

Donating blood only takes about five to 15 minutes, but the impact lasts much longer.

Canadian Blood Services said it can help cancer patients, accident victims and people with rare, life-threatening, chronic and genetic conditions.

Roy Hebert said that’s a big reason why he has continued donating blood after initially doing it through a program at work a few years ago.

“I’m lucky. I’ve never had to have surgery in the hospital, but I’m sure my time comes when I’m going to need to be a benefactor of blood products so, hopefully, I can give now,” he said.

Lepine adds that everyone should consider donating.

“Most serious traffic accidents, which are going to be in abundance through winter, require a blood transfusion at some point, and if you can help with that and make someone’s Christmas a little easier, that would be great,” she said.

People who would like to check the donation requirements or book an appointment can visit the Canadian Blood Services website.