The call is out: roll up your sleeve and donate blood to ensure the supply will be there for those who need it this summer.
It’s an annual plea this time of year, and with good reason.
As much as we don’t like to think about it, there are people who will suffer serious injury this summer, be it through car crashes, at-home catastrophes, natural disasters and even criminal violence. Many of those injured will need new blood to replace what is lost.
Also unpleasantly accurate is the fact there are many people living with life-threatening conditions such as leukemia, liver disease and sickle cell anemia, all of which – and more – can create a need for blood (and not just in summer).
Despite the increasingly balmly temperatures that led up to summer’s official arrival at 3:07 a.m. Thursday – and which have likely got the majority of people, understandably, giving serious thought to their annual vacay – none of the above situations take a holiday. In fact, according to ICBC, things like crashes involving cyclists occur more often during the summer, on average injuring 760 between June and September every year.
Add to that boating and other summer-centric injuries, and the need to be prepared is clear. In short, hope for the best, prepare for the worst.
Canadian Blood Services officials on Monday said they need more than 23,000 blood donors to donate by July 2 to ensure patients have access to the blood and blood products they will need in the coming months. Historically, donations drop during the summer as people get busy with activities or leave town, they said.
Certainly, the benefits extend beyond those reaped by the recipients.
There is much for donors to gain as well, not least being the fact you could one day be the one needing it. What if it wasn’t there?
There’s also that feeling that comes with giving, potentially, the gift of life.
And if neither of those resonate – and if you can think of no other meaningful reason to donate –keep it simple: go for the juice and cookie.