Residents urged to help top-up the blood supply

Canadian Blood Services
News Release

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Canadian Blood Services needs donors to book an appointment and donate blood at the Clarion Resort Pinewood Park, 201 Pinewood Park Drive on Wednesday, August 22nd from 12:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. & 4:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. and Thursday, August 23rd from 11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. & 4:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Area residents are urged to help ‘top-up’ the blood supply at their local blood donor clinic before heading off on their summer travels.

With a patient somewhere in Canada needing blood every minute of every day, it is important that we maintain a constant supply of new blood donations. Most often, it takes more than one donor’s unit of blood to save a patient’s life. A single car accident victim may require 50 units of blood and blood products to survive injuries.

Increased traffic usually means more car accidents on roadways. Every donor who books and keeps an appointment this summer will provide the additional supply of blood products needed for hospital patients.

“We need 128 appointments in North Bay booked to keep up with hospital demand, and patients are counting on more people to become blood donors,” says Anne Campbell, Director, Donor and Clinic Services. “If you've made an appointment, please honour it. If you haven’t made one, please book one today.”

More reasons why it’s important to book and keep your blood donation appointment this summer:

• Currently, only 60% of blood donors honour their appointments.

• According to Transport Canada, more people have died on Canada's roads in the last 50 years than the number of Canadians killed in both world wars.

• Road traffic injuries are the second leading cause of death for young people aged 5-25.

• According to the Canada Safety Council website, almost half of all road fatalities and about 40 percent of serious injuries occur on undivided rural roads.

Please visit us online at www.blood.ca or call 1 888 2 DONATE (1-888-236-6283) to book an appointment to donate today.

About Canadian Blood Services
Canadian Blood Services is a national, not-for-profit charitable organization that manages the supply of blood and blood products in all provinces and territories outside of Quebec. Canadian Blood Services also oversees the OneMatch Stem Cell and Marrow Network, and provides national leadership for organ and tissue donation and transplantation. Canadian Blood Services operates 42 permanent collection sites and more than 20,000 donor clinics annually. The provincial and territorial Ministries of Health provide operational funding to Canadian Blood Services. The federal government, through Health Canada, is responsible for regulating the blood system.

Follow us on Twitter @itsinyoutogive, visit our official Facebook page at www.facebook.com/CanadianBloodServices and see our YouTube channel at 1882DONATE

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