Even with blood donations on campus approaching record-breaking levels Canadian Blood Services (CBS) believes faculty, staff and students have it in them to raise the bar another 25 per cent this year.
According to the most recent statistics, the number of donations from Western’s University Community Centre clinic in November was almost 100 more units than in the same month a year earlier.
Third-year History student Sean Power gives blood at the Canadian Blood Services clinic in the University Community Centre.
The increase is being attributed in large part to initiatives within faculties and student groups, most notably in the Richard Ivey School of Business and the Canadian Federation of Medical Students.
“Our numbers are up across the board,” says Caryna Wilding, CBS Clinic Recruitment Coordinator. “A lot is due in part to different groups coming out to donate.”
A donation of blood (referred to as a unit) from the clinic is sent to a lab to be tested for safety purposes. If the unit passes the lab testing it is then sent to storage and eventually distributed to hospitals throughout Canada.
Last year’s overall donation numbers from the Western blood clinic totaled close to 2,000 units, which they hope this year to raise to more than 2,500 units.
With an increase in donators already visible in this year’s statistics, coordinating the clinic becomes a difficult task– particularly when trying to gauge walk-in numbers.
CBS recommends donors book in advance for an appointment to ensure shorter waiting times and overall convenience for themselves and blood bank operators alike. Currently, Western offers a three-bed clinic.
The urgency for blood donations is always an issue for Canadian hospitals. Typically a cancer patient requires as much as eight units of blood per week while a liver transplant needs upwards of 100 units.
The constant drive for more donations from the public is understandable, often making the difference between life and death for some hospital patients. An individual is able to donate every 56 days, potentially offering six donations a year.
Recovery after a donation usually takes no more than five minutes, during which donors are provided with a light snack and liquids to re-hydrate themselves.
“The entire process from the moment you walk into the clinic should take no more than 45 minutes to an hour,” says Wilding, adding the blood donation itself takes just minutes.
First time donors can expect minimal side-effects after giving blood. The most common of which is slight nausea and lightheadedness, a direct result of the decrease in the body’s blood volume. This can be avoided by having a proper meal and plenty of hydration prior to entering the clinic, even for first time donors.
Blood clinic
Open: Monday-Wednesday, noon to 4 p.m.
Where: Bottom floor of the UCC, next to Student Health Services.
Contact: For information or to book an appointment, call 1 888 2 DONATE (1-888-236-6283) or visit www.blood.ca. Walk-in donors welcome although a longer wait is possible.
The writer is a Western News intern and student in the Faculty of Information and Media Studies.