Ruby Pratka, Local Journalism Initiative reporter
editor@qctonline.com
Héma-Québec is calling on Quebecers, especially those with type O+ and O- blood, to sign up for their local blood drive after snowstorms over the past week have led to a wave of cancellations. “Blood donations are often down during the holiday season, while demand for blood from hospitals is up. Though Héma-Québec has a solid blood supply overall, the need for donations from these two blood types has grown in the last few days, partly because many potential donors have cancelled their appointments due to the weather,” Héma- Québec spokesperson Josée Larivée said in a statement.
Type O is the most common of the four main blood types, and people of any blood type can safely receive type O blood, hence the high demand for it.
“We can’t expect anyone to come donate blood when they would be putting their safety in danger, or when they feel uncomfortable, but if you can’t attend your scheduled appoint- ment, please take the time to cancel, so someone who lives close by or decides to donate on the spur of the moment can take your appointment,” Larivée said.
“Héma-Québec has existed for 25 years and we’ve never lacked blood during that time …but we don’t want to get in a position where we have a critical shortage, so, preventively, we’re doing a public callout,” she said.
She pointed out that many longstanding restrictions keeping people from giving blood based on their travel history and past sexual experiences have been rescinded in recent years. For decades, people who had lived or spent time in the United Kingdom between 1980 and 1996, or in the Republic of Ireland or France between 1980 and 2001, could not donate blood in Canada due to concerns about Creutzfeldt- Jakob disease, and men who had had sex with men were ineligible to donate – both blanket bans have since been lifted. Also, contrary to popular belief according to Larivée, people with diabetes can be blood donors, and people with tattoos can donate as long as their most recent tattoo was done at least three months ago.
First-time donors can expect to take a finger-prick hemoglobin test and answer a health questionnaire before getting in the chair. The process of donating blood itself lasts about 10 minutes, and about a pint of blood is taken with each donation. “Tell [the nurses] it’s your first donation, and they’ll give you a lot of love,” said Larivée. “Then you’ll get your sugary, salty snacks and spend a nice moment in the company of other donors.”
Héma-Québec invites first- time donors to make donating part of their regular routine. As a general rule, men can donate every two months, and women can donate every three months unless they are pregnant or have recently given birth. Young people can donate as soon as they turn 18.
Each blood donation can save up to three lives. “If you ever have to be at the hospital with a loved one and you watch the blood bags arrive, then you understand the impact of all the people who took an hour out of their day to donate,” Larivée said.
Visit the Héma-Québec online reservation platform at jedonne.hema-quebec.qc.ca to book an appointment at a blood drive or Globule donation centre near you. Although Héma-Québec can’t guarantee that all staff are bilingual, every effort will be made to ensure donors get explanations in their preferred language.