As spring arrives, more Canadians begin to travel to see family and friends, making it difficult to find time to donate. The need for blood products never stops, so we’re reminding people across Canada to make all the difference by booking and keeping appointments to donate blood, platelets, and plasma. Patients are grateful to donors who helped ensure their needs were met through the challenging winter months.
Same day and open appointment spots are available at many donation events across the country. If you are unable to book an appointment to donate right away, please consider booking one into the following month. To find an available donor centre near you, visit blood.ca. New and returning donors are asked to book and keep their donation appointments. If you are unable to make it to your appointment, please cancel it so we can find someone to take your place and consider re-booking as soon as possible.
Whether it’s donating blood, platelets, or plasma, providing financial support, or registering as a stem cell or organ and tissue donor, a donation of any type doesn’t just make a difference, it makes all the difference. People can determine what works best for them using suggested giving commitments at 3in2023.blood.ca. Show your support for patients by sharing @CanadasLifeline posts on social media and encouraging others to give. You can also bring a friend to your next donation appointment or join the stem cell registry.
While there is a continuous need for all blood types, there is a greater need for donors who have a rare blood type or O-negative blood. Those who have a rare blood type, or who have O-negative blood — which is essential in emergencies — are urged to continue donating blood if they are eligible. O-negative blood donors play a critical role in our blood system. O-negative blood donors are special. As the universal donor, O-negative blood donors play a critical role in any blood system because you can save any patient in need of blood and is the only blood type that is compatible with all others. O-negative blood is used in the most critical situations: for neonates, patients with compromised immune systems and for trauma victims. When seconds count, someone’s life is on the line and there’s no time to check blood type, hospital patients receive O-negative blood. We must make sure rare blood is available to meet rare blood needs. We urge everyone with a rare blood type to donate blood regularly. Rare blood donors may be siblings of a patient or siblings of known donors referred by a physician or by family member. The rarer a person’s blood type, the more difficult it is to find a donor if that person suddenly needs matched rare blood for a transfusion. The best blood type match for patients with rare blood often comes from donors of the same race or similar ethnicity, which is why a diverse donor base is critical to saving lives. Every day, patients need blood from donors whose blood type matches their own. Canadian Blood Services is working to build relations with people of all ethnic and ancestral backgrounds to diversify our blood donor base and help meet the needs of patients with rare blood.
If you weren’t previously eligible, you may be now. For more info: https://www.blood.ca/en/stories/so-you-think-you-cant-donate-check-be-sure-help-us-help-patients. Whether you choose to donate blood, plasma, or platelets this week, next week, or next month, all donors are an important part of Canada’s Lifeline.
Visit blood.ca, use the GiveBlood app, or call 1-888-2-DONATE (1-888-236-6283) to find and book an appointment at a donor centre near you.
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