Vital fluid in need

By Jamie Doggart

dogg0006@algonquincollege.com

As the needle pierces her arm and searches for the vein, Krista Thompson doesn’t even flinch. She reclines in her bed in the make-shift blood donor clinic that was set up in the marketplace cafeteria at the college on Monday Nov. 17.

Thompson chats with the nurses while occasionally squeezing her stress ball to help blood flow. This is the first-year paramedic student’s eighth time giving blood. As the blood moved sluggishly through the tube, Thompson talked about her reasons for donating.

“My grandfather received a blood transfusion,” said Thompson. “He’s one of my reasons for giving now.”

Unfortunately Thompson was unable to fully donate that day because of how slowly the blood was flowing. There wasn’t enough strength to collect the required half litre of blood.

Patricia Carson, a second-year electromechanical engineering tech and veteran blood donor, had better luck that day filling her quota of a litre and a half.

“I average about two donations a year. I do try to get my older kids out to do this and my significant other. They are afraid it’s going to hurt and don’t like the sight of their own blood. I can get them out occasionally but I would encourage anyone to come out and give blood. Somebody always needs it,” said Carson.

On Nov. 2, Canadian Blood Services announced that Canada’s blood bank had dropped roughly 40 per cent. CBS usually has a large enough amount of blood to keep hospitals in supply for four-to-six days, should an emergency strike. Blood levels had fallen to about a two-to-three day amount. CBS feared that if the blood levels continued to drop, surgeries and patient care could be postponed or cancelled.

A nation wide call was issued to donate blood and the call was answered. By Nov. 18, three weeks after the announcement was made, the national blood bank was back to a comfortable level.