The Canadian Blood Services will soon be setting up a blood donor clinic in Lloydminster and surrounding areas and is looking for donors.
Nicole Russell, Territory Manager for Alberta North, says there is always a need for blood donors, however, it can be harder to find donors during the holidays as they’re regular donors are busy.
“The need for blood is constant throughout the year so we do need the same amount of blood throughout the year. We encourage new people to become regular blood donors during this time of year to make sure we have a constant inventory of blood.”
Russell says area residents consistently come out to donate and generally go over their target donations. The CBS aim to collect 115 blood packs for both areas. On average, they are able to collect 145 bags in Lloydminster and 130 bags in Vermilion.
Even though they usually reach their goals, Russell still encourages people to donate, especially those with the blood type O negative as it is the universal donor type.
“It’s compatible with all other blood types. If someone is in an emergency and needs blood right away and there’s no time to find out their blood type then they’ll get O negative blood. Because it’s in such high demand we always encourage O negative donors to come into the blood donor centres.”
The clinic will be held in Lloydminster on December 3 at the Days Hotel & Suites on 5411 and 44 Street. Another clinic will be held on December 4 in Vermilion at the Vermilion Regional Centre on 5702 College Drive.
“You never know when someone you know or care about may need blood. Every minute of every day someone in Canada needs blood and we need to ensure that we have people consistently coming into our blood donor centres to ensure that blood is available.”
Those interested in donating can take a quiz online to see if they’re eligible.
“There’s many reasons why someone may be unable to donate blood. Some common ones would be tattoos and piercings would have to wait 3 months [before donating], if they’ve travelled out of the country in the last year and different medications [may affect donations].”
People interested in donating but aren’t sure of their blood type can find out at the clinic.
Russell says they are currently filled for scheduled appointments but there are some walk in appointments available. She encourages people to contact them at 1-888-2DONATE (1-888-236-6283) or look online to find out if there are any cancellations.