A petition looking to have a mobile or permanent blood clinic come to Grande Prairie has been circulating online for the past nine months. Susan Matsumoto, Director of Donor Relations for Canadian Blood Services in Alberta, says they appreciate that generosity, but the organization doesn’t have the funds or the demand for blood to justify expanding outside of the communities they are currently operating in.
“Hospitals are using less blood. In this past year we have reduced the number of our mobile sites, and also closed down some permanent facilities. What we really need is individuals in the communities where we do run clinics to become regular blood donors.”
There are several factors they consider when organizing blood drives in farther flung communities, like the potential for collecting blood, labour and transportation costs, and the distance to the nearest production site. Matsumoto says those who would still like to support the organization are encouraged to sign up for their stem cell donor registry.
“It’s called the OneMatch Stem Cell and Marrow Network and it’s a registry of individuals who are between the ages of 17 and 35 who are willing to donate their stem cells to anyone in need. Individuals who sign up can end up donating to someone in Canada or for someone elsewhere in the world.”
You can sign up to become a stem cell donor through the Canadian Blood Services website.