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Canadian Blood Services seeking Battlefords-area donors

Mar 6, 2017 | 4:00 PM

Battleford area residents are asked to answer the call of Canadian Blood Services during its upcoming blood donor clinic Monday, March 13 at the Don Ross Centre.

Statistics show that one in two Canadians is eligible to give blood yet only one in 60 actually do. The Battlefords seem to be the exception according to Territorial Manager with Canadian Blood Services Jeff Martel.

“The Battlefords have always been a staunch supporter of our Blood Donor Clinics,” Martel said. “In fact, there are only a few spots available for appointments for this month’s clinic already and we really want to keep the momentum going by having another full schedule.”

Martel says new donors are always welcome and with recent changes to the iron guidelines preventing women to donate once every 84 days means than these new donors are needed now.

“Right now in the Battlefords in fact across the country we have a strong core of dedicated donors,” Martel said. “However one area we would like to see an increase in for donors would be younger people.”

Martel pointed out that there is some apprehension about donating blood but said it is painless.

“We have high school students that come to our clinic and I ask them how nervous they were on a level from one to 10,” Martel said. “Some said six [or] seven. Some actually had 10. Then I saw them afterwards and they told me that they shouldn’t have been worried at all.”

The Blood Donor Clinic is this Monday from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Don Ross Centre. Those who are interested can book an appointment by visiting the Canadian Blood Services website.

 

Email: roger.white@gmail.ca

Twitter:  @battlefordsNow