By Patrick Burles - @PatrickBurles on Twitter

Cold weather, holidays putting pressure on local blood clinic

Dec 19, 2016 | 4:10 PM

LETHBRIDGE – With Christmas less than a week away, Canadian Blood Services is reminding everyone that despite the season, there are still people who need your help to keep going.

Territory manager, Belinda Tomiyama, explained that the local clinic still has 221 appointments that need to be filled by the end of the month to meet the anticipated demand.

“There’s numerous reasons why people need blood transfusions, some of them and the biggest user of the blood pie are people that have cancer,” stated Tomiyama. “They can use up to eight units per week, and they’re usually in treatment for quite a long period of time. Some people after the birth of a child, they need blood transfusions. Surgeries can use blood transfusions, heart transplants, hip replacements, things like that.”

While the cold weather and busy season is always a challenge for the organization, Tomiyama noted that it can be especially difficult to find donors in the week after Christmas.

To make it as easy as possibly for you to stop in, they will be maintaining regular hours next week. Tuesday through Thursday (Dec. 27-29) they are open from 12:30 to 6:30 p.m., and on Friday and Saturday you can get in between 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.

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Another big factor that’s adding pressure is the new requirement for donor iron levels, which means women now must wait 12 weeks between donations, up from the previous eight-week span.

“With the changes in our new iron eligibility requirements we also need more new donors to come forward,” explained Tomiyama. “Here in Lethbridge we need 200 new donors every month to keep up with patient demand for blood and blood products.

“It really gives patient’s families hope that they’re going to have one more or maybe more Christmases together,” she continued, pointing out that it’s the most important gift you can give this season.

“It doesn’t cost you anything either, just a little bit of time to come down here and give that gift to that patient, and their families are very grateful.”

To book your appointment – which only takes about an hour – call 1-888-2-DONATE (1-888-236-2383) or visit their website. You can also book and manage your own appointments with the GiveBlood mobile app.