HALIFAX – Harold “Sandy” Sanford enjoys his weekly visit to the blood donor clinic in Halifax.
Sanford, who’s 81 years old, has been donating blood for 50 years. He made history this month when he became the oldest person to reach 1,000 donations.
“It’s just an adrenaline thing that you like to do,” he said. “You feel proud that you’re able to still give blood.
“One of my objectives was to get to a thousand.”
Sanford is only the second person in Atlantic Canada and the fifth in the country to reach the milestone.
“We’re fortunate to have him,” said Peter MacDonald of Canadian Blood Services. “Because of him, patients have had good health through his donations.”
INFOGRAPHIC: See how blood donations can help patients in need.
Sanford is not the only donor in his family — his mother used to give blood, and he has three siblings who have each made at least 100 donations.
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His son Robert, who joins him on some visits to the clinic, is closing in on 600 donations.
Robert is aiming even higher than his dad.
“I’m shooting for two thousand,” he said. “But it all depends on my health and everything else.”
When Sanford was 71, Health Canada guidelines didn’t permit him to continue donating blood. He fought it, arguing that because he was still in good health, there was no reason he shouldn’t be allowed.
It took two years, but the rule was finally changed and now Canadians over the age of 71 can donate, provided they get annual checkups by a doctor and Canadian Blood Services.
“I have no after effects from it,” said Sanford. “If it’s going to be detrimental to your health, it would have been detrimental by now.”
MacDonald said because Sanford is donating plasma — just one of three components that make up whole blood — recovery time is minimal. Whole blood donations can only be made once every eight weeks, but plasma can be donated weekly.
Sanford said he has no plans to slow down after hitting 1,000.
“I’m going to continue,” he said. “I’ll keep going as long as I can.”
Global News takes a look at the numbers behind blood donation and the significance of Sanford’s contributions.
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