The Riverview, N.B. teen battling terminal brain cancer who started a viral social media campaign made a stop at the Moncton Blood Donor Clinic to thank people for donating blood.
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Becca Schofield, 17, visited the clinic with her parents on Friday and made her way around to those in the process of donating, and others who just finished giving blood.
Many blood donors have cited the #BeccaToldMeTo campaign as the reason behind their decision to give blood, while several were first-timers. When the campaign started in December, Schofield asked people to perform random acts of kindness and post it on social media using the hashtag #BeccaToldMeTo, but she also encouraged people to donate blood.
“What I really wanted to do is ask people to donate bone marrow, but I know that bone marrow, that is a lot harder to donate,” Schofield said. “So blood was the next best option and it is still just as fantastic I think.”
The clinic presented the 17-year-old with flowers, gifts and hugs for her help at encouraging people to give.
“To have asked people to become blood donors is really something that is so important and we are so grateful for her,” said Jacqueline Alain with Canadian Blood Services.
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“She has helped to keep it very much top of mind and I think she has also encouraged new donors to come in. For example, we had a Riverview High School student come in today who said, ‘I came in because Becca told me to.'”
That student was Hope Legere, a first-time blood donor.
“It was my first time and yeah, very scary. I have gotten needles at the hospital but … It was definitely pretty cool and I will definitely do it again too,” Legere said.
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“I know how it must affect the people who get these transfusions and I know how much better they are going to feel and it is going to put a smile on their face to feel so much better,” Schofield said.
Schofield expressed her thanks to donors for their decision to donate on behalf of herself and other recipients.
– With files from Shelley Steeves, Global News
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