Becca Schofield’s mother asking New Brunswickers to donate blood over the holidays

Five years after death, Becca Schofield’s mother is continuing the Riverview, N.B., teen’s campaign to encourage others to perform acts of kindness.

Anne Schofield said the blood transfusions her daughter would receive during her battle with brain cancer were like “recharging her batteries.”

Every year since 2018, Schofield has partnered with Canadian Blood Services to donate blood around the holidays.

“(Becca) felt like giving blood was a special kind of hero,” she said. “You’re giving of your time, you’re giving of your blood, and you may save somebody’s life,” she said.

Blood Services Canada community development manager Brandy Peters said the last week of December and the first week of January are particularly challenging, because people are often too busy with their holiday plans to donate blood.

She said there are hundreds of open appointments in Moncton, Saint John and Fredericton during that timeframe.

Blood has a shelf life of 42 days.

“We need to keep donations consistent throughout the holidays to ensure patients have the products that they need,” she said.

For some donors, like 82-year-old Bill Cosman, donating blood has become its own tradition.

“I felt it was an obligation, something that was easy to do that didn’t take a lot of time and didn’t hurt,” Cosman said.

He first started donating blood 62 years ago. On Wednesday, he gave blood for the 287th time.

Cosman donates every 56 days, which is the minimum waiting period between donations for men.

“I have a certain goal now, at my age, of getting in another year or two (of blood donation),” he said.

“If they’ll let me through the front door!” he said with a laugh.

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Schofield says seeing people continuing to honour her daughter’s legacy helps her cope with the loss.

“When people learn we’re Becca’s parents, a smile comes on their face, ” she said.

“They want to share a story, they want to say how she’s affected their lives, how still today they carry her in their heart. So she left us with this legacy of a community that continues to support us in our grief.”