Our Blood Counts urges Northerners to donate during holiday travel

A community group working to bring blood donation back to Northern BC is urging Northerners
travelling over the holidays to donate blood or plasma if they’re near a Canadian Blood Services
donor centre, and to share with staff what blood donation means back home.

“Northerners are ready to help,” said Mark Karjaluoto of Our Blood Counts, a group calling for
Canadian Blood Services to establish a regional blood plasma donor centre in Prince George.
“As we continue to make the case for bringing blood donation back to the North, we want
Canadian Blood Services to see our dedication to giving, even when that means travelling great
distances to donate.”

The need for blood and plasma continues throughout the holidays. Patients rely on blood
products every day for emergencies, trauma care, cancer treatment, surgeries, and many other
medical needs. Hospitals require a steady supply, but donations often decline during December
and early January.

The North remains the only region in British Columbia without a place to donate blood. Our
Blood Counts is asking Northerners who donate while traveling to speak directly with Canadian
Blood Services staff, telling them where you call home and that you’d donate more often if
services were available in the North. These conversations can help Canadian Blood Services
see the strong donor potential that already exists in Northern BC.

“For me, this is personal,” said Irina Doering, committee member of Our Blood Counts. “I
received life-saving blood transfusions during the birth of my third child. I’m here today because
donors were there when I needed them. Northerners want to give back in the same way, and we
need the opportunity to do that closer to home.”

Canadian Blood Services collects about 16,000 units of blood and 3,000 units of plasma each
week to meet patient needs across Canada. More than half of Canadians will need blood or
blood products for themselves or a family member at some point in their lives. Canada depends
on the United States for 70 percent of certain medications made from blood plasma.

Our Blood Counts is grateful for the growing support for a plasma donor centre in Northern BC.
The petition at www.ourbloodcounts.com has gathered 2,500 signatures. More than 92 percent
of signers say they would likely donate locally. Eight municipalities, three regional districts, the
North Central Local Government Association, and two MLAs have also passed resolutions or
provided letters of support.

Sign the petition at www.ourbloodcounts.com