Canadian Blood Services sounds alarm with national inventory down 25 per cent
Canadian Blood Services is pleading for eligible donors to step up as the national inventory has dropped significantly.
According to the organization, reserves have declined by 25 per cent since the beginning of April.
It says cancellations and low attendance at donor centres across the country has left it scrambling to collect blood, platelets and plasma.
"We've seen that 10 per cent increase in cancellations and missed appointments since March," said , Gayle Voyer, Canadian Blood Services associate director of donor relations for B.C. and Yukon.
"We think it comes down to maybe people not feeling well, maybe people travelling a bit more.
Voyer says they usually see a drop off in donors during the summer, which makes spring a crucial time.
"That does raise a concern because typically were building up our inventory for the demand of hospital patients as we go into the summer when we do see people get out of their routines. So, it's earlier than were expecting," said Voyer.
CBS says that one out of every two Canadians are eligible to donate blood, but only one out of every 82 does.
'BLOOD IS LIKE A CARTON OF MILK, IT ALWAYS NEEDS TO BE REPLACED'
The organization will be seeking out more donors like 27 year-old Max Proske, who tells CTV News he's now donated over 100 times.
"Every minute of every day there's someone who needs blood whether it's a leukemia patient or a trauma patient or an emergency," Proske said.
Proske said he began by giving blood as an 18-year-old but has since transitioned into giving platelets, the smallest of blood cells which are often used to treat cancer patients.
"I was inspired by my dad who is a lifelong donor and a cancer survivor," Proske said.
"We're a family of donors."
Proske would like to see his fellow Canadians step up and donate during this crucial period.
"Blood is like a carton of milk, it always needs to be replaced, if you're eligible, please book," he said.
To find out if you're eligible, you can visit the CBS website and take an online quiz.
If eligible, potential donors can book on the website or call 1-888-236 6283.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
Boeing's financial woes continue, while families of crash victims urge U.S. to prosecute the company
Boeing said Wednesday that it lost US$355 million on falling revenue in the first quarter, another sign of the crisis gripping the aircraft manufacturer as it faces increasing scrutiny over the safety of its planes and accusations of shoddy work from a growing number of whistleblowers.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
"It's a bit of a complicated pattern; we've got a lot going on," said Jennifer Smith of the Meteorological Service of Canada in an interview with CTVNews.ca on Wednesday. "[As is] typical with weather, all of these things are related."