Posted by 
Canadian Blood Services is hoping Edmontonians will roll up their sleeves and donate some blood this summer to help patients in need.
“We have about 150,000 open appointments between now and Labour Day nationally. What that translates to in Edmonton specifically, is there’s more than 10,000 appointments that need to be booked over the summer months,” said Tianna Doyle, territory manager for Canadian Blood Services.
“We are just asking anybody to please make it top of mind because the need for blood, it doesn’t stop. Surgeries continue, car accidents may still happen, so we still need to make sure that we are filling all of those appointments,” Doyle said.
According to the Canadian Blood Services, over the course of the pandemic donor behaviour had changed, leading to fewer people donating blood. One in two people can donate, however, only one in 81 actually do.
“For anybody who has never donated before, or if they haven’t come in in the last few years, now is a really great time to make that appointment and help us,” Doyle said.
Canadian Blood Services operates on a national inventory system so the blood you donate doesn’t just help people around you but it also helps someone who may need it across the country.
If you’re over the age of 17 and are in general good health you’re probably eligible to donate, and, according to Doyle, the need for blood is always a constant since blood has a shelf life of only 42 days.
Doyle says that patient demand is getting higher and higher because there’s less and less blood being donated and they’re hoping more people will make donating blood a regular thing.
“If anyone is able to donate blood if you’re eligible, feel free to visit blood.ca and we look forward to seeing you in the donor centre,” said Doyle.
To make an appointment, visit blood.ca and enter your postal code and the site will bring up the nearest donation centres near you. Appointments take around an hour and Doyle said donors even get a cookie.
