NEWS RELEASE
CANADIAN BLOOD SERVICES
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With the spring season upon us, we're reminding people across Canada to make all the difference by booking and keeping appointments to donate blood, platelets and plasma. Patients are grateful to donors who helped ensure their needs were met through the challenging winter months.
As spring arrives, more Canadians begin to travel to see family and friends, making it difficult to find time to donate. Same day and open appointment spots are often available at many donation events across the country. If you are unable to book an appointment to donate, please consider booking one into the following month. To find an available donor centre/event near you, visit blood.ca. If you are unable to make it to your appointment, please cancel it so we can find someone to take your place and consider re-booking as soon as possible. Show your support for patients by sharing @CanadasLifeline posts on social media and encouraging others to give. You can also bring a friend to your next donation appointment or join the stem cell registry. Book now on blood.ca, use the GiveBlood app or call 1 888 2 DONATE (1-888-236-6283).
O-negative blood donation
If your blood type is O-negative, please donate regularly. Your donations are invaluable. If you have O-negative blood, you’re known as a universal donor. Your donation can be given to any patient, regardless of blood type. In emergency situations, when there's no time to confirm a patient's blood type, O-negative blood can mean the difference between life and death. O-negative blood is always in high demand and short supply.
Check your eligibility again
We are continuously reviewing and updating our donor screening criteria. You may be eligible now, even if you weren’t before. Thousands of people across Canada who spent time in countries affected by the human variant of ‘mad cow’ disease are now eligible to donate blood and plasma. More information about this historic change is on our website. Recent changes in eligibility criteria are listed on our website.
All ways to give
- We connect blood, plasma, stem cell, and organ donors to people who need them. We can’t do it without you.
- If you’re already a blood donor or can’t donate, you can make all the difference by encouraging others to book an appointment. It takes donors of all kinds to keep Canada’s Lifeline strong.
- If you’re between 17 and 35, you can register as a potential stem cell donor on Canadian Blood Services Stem Cell Registry. Over 75 per cent of patients can’t find a stem cell match within their family and must rely on a volunteer donor.
- You can also register your intent to donate your organs and tissues, volunteer your time, or make a financial donation.
- For more information on all the ways you can join Canada’s Lifeline, please visit blood.ca
Book your blood or plasma donation by downloading the GiveBlood app, calling 1 888 2 DONATE (1-888-236-6283) or booking now at blood.ca. You can also register to become a stem cell donor or organ and tissue donor at blood.ca
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