80,000 to 90,000 new donors needed
to meet increased need for blood
Brampton - April is National Cancer Month and this year in Canada, almost 160,000 new cases of cancer will occur.Many of these patients will need blood and blood products to treat potentially life-threatening cancers such as leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma.
Canadian Blood Services forecasts 900,000 units of blood will be needed in 2008, with hospital demand continuing to grow by 2% each year. That amounts to 17,000 extra units of blood this year alone.Patients undergoing cancer treatments are one of the largest blood recipient groups in Canada.
Platelets are a blood component used primarily in the treatment of cancer patients and play a vital role in the formation of blood clots.Four to five blood donors are needed to make one unit of platelets. Cancer patients may need up to 10 platelet transfusions every week and because platelets must be transfused within five days of donation, the need for blood is constant.
"We need 80,000 to 90,000 new blood donors this year to meet the increasing demand", says Caryna Wilding, Clinic Recruitment Coordinator, Canadian Blood Services. "The average cancer patient uses up to eight units of blood and blood products per week.Giving blood is one of the most direct ways you can help patients undergoing cancer treatment."
This April, Canadian Blood Services invites you to help cancer patients across Canada by donating blood at the following blood donor clinics:
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Jim Archdekin Recreation Centre
292 Conestoga Drive
2:00 – 7:30 pm
Friday, April 4, 2008
Shoppers World Brampton, Staples Court
499 Main Street South
3:00 – 7:30 pm
Saturday, April 5, 2008
Shoppers World Brampton, Staples Court
499 Main Street South
10:00 am – 3:00 pm
Monday, April 7, 2008
Chris Gibson Recreation Centre
125 McLaughlin Road
4:00 – 8:00 pm
Monday, April 7, 2008
KennedyRoadTabernacleChurch
141 Kennedy Road North
3:00 – 8:00 pm
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Chinguacousy Wellness Centre
995 Peter Robertson Blvd.
10:00 am – 3:00 pm
Monday, April 21, 2008
BramaleaBaptistChurch
9050 Dixie Road
2:00 – 8:00 pm
Please call 1-888-2-DONATE to book an appointment.
For further information contact:
Caryna Wilding
Clinic Recruitment Coordinator, Canadian Blood Services
Phone: (800) 901-1719 ext. 7
