Every holiday season, Canadian Blood Services have the same message for Canadians — give blood.
The need for blood is especially bad this time of year as people get too busy with their families and holiday shopping.
B.C. alone is looking to fill 2,300 open appointments this week.
Today, volunteers wearing Santa hats were out at Burrard Skytrain Station in downtown Vancouver, asking people to donate blood.
Marcelo Dominguez with Canadian Blood Services says they are trying to be as visible as possible this time of year.
“Sometimes people think of doing something charitable and it is a natural thing that it has to take the shape of something financial, but in this case you can have a direct impact on a hospital patient’s life by just donating blood,” he says.
Canadian Blood Services asks that donors make appointments to avoid line-ups, but walk-ins are also welcome.
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They ask that people come in well nourished and hydrated when giving blood, which takes about an hour to do.
“Make it a ‘you-day.’ Just make it a day when you pamper yourself. Part of that is just the feeling that you are going to help someone live,” says Dominguez.
He says what many people do not realize is that blood has a short shelf life, and needs to be replenished.
“We are needing to replace units of blood that have either been transfused into patients or because we just need to replace the units.”
Their biggest need is for donors with Type O negative blood type.
“It is the universal blood type, so when seconds count and lives are on the line, people who are in need of blood will be given O-negative,” says Dominguez. “So this time of year, it is important to have O-negative because it can help with any kind of situation whether it is a car accident victim or someone who is in cancer treatment.”
Go to blood.ca for more information or to book an appointment.
The main Oak Street clinic in Vancouver is open throughout the holidays, only closed on Dec. 25 and Sundays.
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