Give blood on Good Friday in honour of local recipient Brock Powell

*Paid Business Feature*

On Good Friday, Apr. 15, 2022, roll up your sleeves and support Canadian Blood Services alongside local Kingston resident Brock Powell at a holiday blood drive.

Over the past four years, “Blood for Brock” has seen more than 200 blood donations, even though collecting blood on statutory holiday can be a challenge. This year, Powell hopes to get 79 donations at the annual blood drive.

Powell knows all too well the need for blood and blood products. He was born with von Willebrand disease, Type 2, which is an inherited bleeding disorder where a person’s blood does not clot properly.

A near-constant series of health issues had Powell in and out of the hospital regularly and requiring blood transfusions for procedures that would otherwise be routine for most patients. In 2018, his health hit another roadblock with a diagnosis of cancer. Thanks to treatment, and many pints of blood, Powell was able to ring the cancer-free bell on Good Friday in 2019 — a day he will never forget.

“When I met Brock Powell and his family he was in the hospital undergoing cancer treatment. A family friend reached out to me to advise that Brock wanted to ‘give back’ by organizing a blood drive as he recognized that he required blood and blood products for most of his life,” said Debbi Barfoot, local Territory Manager for Canadian Blood Services.

Each year Brock organizes the Blood for Brock event on Good Friday, and each year the collection goal is increased.

“What started out in year one at 32 units has grown in to 79 units in 2022,” Barfoot continued. “The Kingston blood donor centre will host the event from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. and we encourage new and existing blood donors to make an appointment. Canadian Blood services is open on most statutory holidays and it is a challenging time to collect blood. Donated blood lasts only 42 days, but platelets that are commonly used to treat cancer patients have a short expiry of seven days.”

Barfoot went on to explain that about an hour of your time could change someone’s life. Blood and blood products are a critical part of everyday medical care including major surgeries, medical procedures, cancer treatments and managing diseases and disorders. As a blood donor, you form a vital link in Canada’s lifeline, helping many Canadians wake up healthy each day.

Like other organizations across Canada, the latest COVID-19 wave is challenging Canadian Blood Services like never before.

“The Canadian Blood Services team, along with patients who require blood and blood products, are very grateful to blood donors and to Brock Powell for his ongoing support and dedication,” Barfoot expressed.

Appointments are required to ensure physical distancing. Currently, only donors with scheduled appointments can enter Canadian Blood Services centres. For more information on the latest wellness measures, visit blood.ca/COVID19.

Join the fifth annual Blood for Brock event. If you are in good health, book an appointment now at blood.ca, on the GiveBlood app or call 1 888 2 DONATE (1-888-236-6283).

This article is sponsored by the Canadian Blood Services. If you are interested in a Business Feature on Kingstonist, contact [email protected]