Donors urgently needed, says Canadian Blood Services

Summer is a time for beaches and barbecues. Rick Prinzen says donating blood should be a summer must-do item as well.

Prinzen is the vice-president of donor relations for Canadian Blood Services, and he says summer is a challenging time for blood donations. CBS says more than 23,000 donors are urgently needed by July 2 to ensure patients have access to blood and blood products.

“The summer is a time for family to relax and enjoy themselves,” Prinzen said in a press release. “Yet, the need for blood and blood products is constant. The need for blood does not take a holiday.”

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One woman, Kiran Benet of Brampton, Ont., says she’s grateful for blood donors, as her 15-year-old daughter required 28 blood transfusions, in addition to a stem cell transplant.

“At age 10, Cierra was diagnosed with Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS), a rare blood disorder in which the bone marrow fails to make enough viable blood cells,” Benet said in a CBS press release. “Life turned upside down for a couple of years until a genetically matched volunteer stem cell donor was found. Today, Cierra is preparing for her Grade 9 exams and recently celebrated her birthday. None of this would have been possible without the generosity of donors willing to help people like us.”

Visit blood.ca, download the GiveBlood app or call 1-888-2-DONATE to find a nearby donation site. Walk in appointments are also available at all locations.