It's in You to Give

In a recent poll, 52% of Canadians said that, in the past, they or a family member have needed blood for medical reasons. It is estimated that nearly every minute someone in Canada is in need of a blood donation. The graph to the right shows how many units of blood are needed for various surgeries. Keep in mind that blood donors are allowed to give a maximum of half a litre of blood when donating and that one unit (as displayed in the graph) is only equal to a cup (450 mL).


Photo courtesy of http://www.bloodservices.ca/

I, myself, have not yet donated. However, I do plan to attend one of the blood drives this week. So how did I get into this, you may ask? Actually, it was the simple word-of-mouth phenomena that encouraged me to donate blood. My friend had been doing it for a few years now, and when she told me about the statistics, I couldn't just say "oh, that's too bad" and do nothing about it. I couldn't just let it go if I knew I could help. I think that's one of the biggest problems in today's society: so many people claim they would help if they knew how. Well, now you know, so there's no excuse!

However, there are certain rules and regulations for donating blood; they don't accept just anyone. In order to be eligible, you must:

• be atleast 110 lbs
• be between 17 and 71 years old
• pass a hemoglobin test that determines whether your blood has enough iron
• pass a screening test comprised of a series of health-related questions

They will not accept applicants who

• have had dental treatment (fillings, extractions, cleaning, restoration, etc.)
• have a cold, flu or sore throat at the time they donate
• have any recent body piercings or tattoos

For more information on the guidelines and how you can go about donating, please visit http://www.bloodservices.ca/ .

Sure, a needle may be scary, but such fear is nothing compared to what patients and their families feel when they are told there is not enough donated blood available to perform their operations. Plus, knowing that you've helped save a life is probably one the most satisfying feelings you can get. There's no better time to get involved and give back to the community than RIGHT NOW!