“Together, we are Canada’s lifeline.”
That is the slogan of the Canadian Blood Services who will be bringing their mobile blood donor centre to Bancroft on March 25th. Debbi Barfoot, the Territory Manager and Donor Relations with Canadian Blood Services, says before booking an appointment you need to take the eligibility quiz on their website.
Before you donate, you need to make sure you have eaten well and are hydrated. You also need to bring a government-issued photo ID with you or your blood donor card issued by Canadian Blood Services. If you aren’t feeling well the morning of your appointment, Barfoot says you should not donate blood.
Barfoot says the need for blood is always there so they can ensure their patients’ needs are met. “We currently have less than four days’ worth of inventory for O-negative, A-negative, and B-negative blood types,” she adds. “We need to have between a five and eight day supply of blood and blood products to meet anticipated hospital demands.”
She notes that while everyone is encouraged to donate, people with an O-negative blood type are always needed since their blood is compatible with all other blood types. “In an emergency, when seconds count and there is no time to check blood type, patients receive O-negative blood,” Barfoot says. She says if you are O-negative, there’s a good chance someone in your family is to so she asks you to recommend them to donate blood as well.
Barfot says the goal is to get 80 units of blood.
The clinic will be held on March 25th from 1:30 PM until 6:30 at the Bancroft Pentecostal Tabernacle. You can book your appointment online or by calling 1-888-236-6283.