A local advocacy group is launching a petition to bring blood plasma donation back to Northern B.C.
The petition at ourbloodcounts.com calls on Canadian Blood Services to open a new blood plasma donor centre in Prince George to serve the northern two-thirds of the province. With National Blood Donor Week underway, the group points out that Canada collects less than 20 percent of the plasma that patients need from domestic donors, so the need is there.
“Donor blood saved my life. That’s why I’ve signed the petition to bring a new blood plasma donor centre to Northern B.C. so that we can make a difference,” said Marc Sinclair, a college instructor from Prince George and blood transfusion recipient.
The objectives of this petition are to
- Show the region’s commitment to life-saving blood products for all Canadians;
- To improve access for rural residents to make life donation gifts, and
- Encourage Northern B.C. residents to get involved in addressing a national need.
“We’re calling for the plasma donor centre in the north because we want to help our family members, friends, and all Canadians with life-saving gifts. We’re grateful for the people who’ve stepped forward and want to contribute at a future Northern B.C. centre,” said Mark Karjaluoto, a Prince George resident and blood donor whose past partnership with Canadian Blood Services provided more than 2,500 units of blood for patient care.
In the past five years, Canadian Blood Services has opened or planned to add a dozen new plasma centres across the country, but Prince George is not on the list. The city had a Canadian Blood Services whole blood donor centre from 1998 until 2015.
“Donor blood has been a big part of my family. We’ve benefited from blood and have given in return. That’s why I’ve signed the petition to bring a plasma donor centre to the North,” said Kelli Smith, a wholesale manager in Prince George and advocate for blood donation.
Plasma makes up more than half of a person’s blood. Plasma carries water, salts and enzymes. But it also has antibodies, clotting factors, and proteins. These can be concentrated into medications for patients with a range of medical emergencies.
Donations involve using specialized equipment to extract plasma from a donor’s blood and return red blood cells and platelets to the donor. The extracted plasma is frozen and sent to a manufacturer to be turned into immunoglobulins. These specialized mediations support care for patients with kidney and liver diseases, cancer, and/or immune deficiencies and rare blood disorders.
