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Canadian Blood Services to host Christmas Eve clinic in town

December 15, 2017   ·   0 Comments

By Jasen Obermeyer

For Christmas, one usually gives food and presents to others, but what if this year, you add giving blood to the list?

On Sunday Dec. 24, Christmas Eve, the Canadian Blood Services will be hosting a blood donor clinic at Orangeville’s Best Western. The clinic runs from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., with the clinic being in need of around 100 donors.

Emma Willms, Canadian Blood Services event coordinator, says they usually see an increase for a need of blood around the holidays. “With people travelling, there are frequent accidents happening.” She also attributes this need to their regular donors being unable to donate because of holiday plans keeping them busy.

Ms. Willms says they need to have the clinic on Christmas Eve because blood and blood products have a short shelf life.

“Platelets, which are a component of blood that’s frequently used to treat cancer patients, it only has a shelf life of five days. So if we shutdown for more than a couple of days, patients who receive platelets for any kind of treatment might not have the blood that they need.”

She explained that all types of blood are usually used within two to three days of being donated. “So people who donate around the holiday season truly are making the holidays possible for a patient in need.”

Ms. Willms is hoping people will consider “giving the gift of life, giving the gift of blood” for the holiday season, as it’s usually a giving time for many.

Orangeville has hosted blood clinics monthly for some time, which Ms. Willms says have been successful, but there has recently been “a bit of a shortfall” in town, though generally “the community in Orangeville is very supportive.”

Canadian Blood Services Territory Manager Tara Gutscher was at Town Council on Monday (Dec. 11) asking the municipality to help promote the event.

“Approximately ever minute of every day someone in Canada needs blood. We need to see 100 donations in Orangeville, so far we have 45 appointments booked,” Ms. Gutscher said. “Sometimes we don’t have enough blood for patients that need it over the holidays. We are humbly asking the Town and all of its residents to please adopt this clinic and donate blood if you can.”

To book an appointment for the clinic, visit their website at www.blood.ca, or call 1-888-2-DONATE, and walk-ins will be available.

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