WATERLOO -- As Canadian Blood Services is in urgent need of donors, one clinic in Waterloo is keeping its doors open longer to hopefully accommodate them.
The need for donations has opened up in part to elective surgeries resuming in hospitals, but for Meghan Frye, she also wants to achieve her goal she set 10 years ago to donate blood 25 times.
“I really wanted to give back,” she said. “It’s in their slogan ‘it’s in you to give,’ and it doesn’t take any effort from me.”
On Saturday, the Breslau resident completed her 25th donation.
“I got to sit there and give some hope to other people who might need it,” said Frye.
While some like Frye keep coming back, Canadian Blood Services is hoping for more and extending clinic hours at locations like the one on Bridgeport Road in Waterloo.
“Between now and Labour Day there’s actually 460 appointments still available,” said Gina Leyva of Canadian Blood Services KW. “All those folks that were waiting to have surgeries done because of COVID-19, and the hospitals being busy, they’re trying to get those surgeries done.
“There are a higher number of accidents [in the summer], more people out and about and on the road.”
However, the organization says people still aren’t booking as much as they need, and many are cancelling at the last minute.
Canadian Blood Services is also looking for donors of all blood types, but those the universal blood type of O negative are needed to most to help in emergency rooms.
Donations are all through appointment to ensure physical distancing can be maintained inside.
“Everybody has their own time and it doesn’t take more than 15 minutes to finish the entire process,” said donor Lucio Costa.
Anybody who wants to donate can visit blood.ca to confirm eligibility and make an appointment.
