A pint of blood may not look very sexy under the Christmas tree.
But in this season, with sun and temperatures plummeting, vehicles colliding, bodies broken and in need of repair and restoration, there can be no better gift to give or receive.
Better still, giving blood costs you nothing.
Elaine St. Pierre, territory manager for Canadian Blood Services in Simcoe County, York Region and Muskoka, tells BarrieToday that while the need for blood never stops. “The greatest need for donors in this region is in the week between Christmas and New Year’s, as well as the first week of January.”
St. Pierre urges donations now, because “platelets, one of the components of the blood, have a shelf life of only seven days, so it’s critical for us to collect blood throughout the holidays to help replenish our blood inventory.
“Platelets are a vital blood component that helps make blood clot. One of the most common uses for platelets is to treat cancer patients."
But St. Pierre admits the holidays can be a challenging time to attract donors as people travel and get busy with holiday activities.
“Weather can also affect turnout at our clinics, especially in communities outside of Barrie where we only come to town every so often. If we miss you that day because of weather, we may not be back for two months.”
Once upon a time, donors were accepted off the street. Now, it’s best that donors make appointments to roll up their sleeves, “as it helps us prepare for the number of donors to expect.”
However, “there are ‘walk-in’ spots available at every clinic, scattered evenly throughout the day. We do our best not to turn away donors because oftentimes, we need every donation possible.”
St. Pierre also says the need for blood is based partially on how fast the town is growing
“Our clinic targets are forecast based on hospital demand across the country so wherever the blood is needed, it will be available.”
St. Pierre reminds folks that O-negative blood is “compatible with all blood types, and can be given to anyone. When time is of the essence, it’s the blood type that hospitals use in emergency situations when there’s no time to check for a patient’s type. Only seven per cent of Canadians have this blood type.”
Whatever your type, give blood now. The Barrie clinic is located at 231 Bayview Dr., Suite 100.
