Young people urged to donate plasma

Okanagan College Nursing student Taylor Hubick knows how important it is to get people to donate plasma.

She was one of two winners from Kelowna in a bursary program offered by Canadian Blood Services. It encouraged students to recruit others in making an appointment to donate.

Through constant asking, Hubick got her friends and co-workers to donate at the Kelowna plasma donor centre, which helped her earn $3,000 towards this semester’s cost.

“I just continued to email and text all my friends, and co-workers and I just basically begged everyone to go out and donate for me,” she told Kelowna10. “I kept telling people it was for two really good causes: It’s good for everyone who needs it, and it helps me as a student.”

Contestants needed at least 15 people to book an appointment between May-October 2022. Taylor got 23.

“Go out and donate. Save some lives and it’s a lot quicker than you think it is. A fast and friendly process,” Hubick said.

The Canadian Blood Services are actively trying to get younger people to donate plasma.

“When you have a peer coming to you and saying this is why you should donate or how to get involved, that really resonates with people because you’re hearing it directly from someone they know in a social environment or through school,” Business Development Manager Janna Pantella said. “That really helped us having students going out with their peers and sharing information.”

The Kelowna location is looking to fill over 800 spots by the end of December.

Pantella said the Give 3 in 2023 challenge will look to help contribute to Canadian Blood Services heading into the new year to support patients.

People can either donate blood/plasma, make a financial contribution, join the stem cell registry, or volunteer to help recruit potential donors.

Six out of 10 eligible donors in Canada believe donating blood or plasma over the holidays is important, but, only 1 in 10 plans to book an appointment before Dec. 31.

Thousands more new plasma and blood donors are needed across the country. Book your appointment online at blood.ca, on the GiveBlood app, or by calling 1 888 2 DONATE (1-888-236-6283).