News & Events

Donating Blood – Who Is Eligible?

On March 31st, 2016, Oatley Vigmond will be hosting a blood drive in conjunction with Canadian Blood Services at their Barrie branch (231 Bayview Drive). Blood is always in high demand as it is a critical part of everyday medical care including major surgeries, medical procedures, cancer treatments and managing disease. To put it into perspective, it can take up to 5 donors to provide the blood needed for a heart surgery or cancer treatment and up to 50 donors for a car accident victim. On the flip side, one donation can save up to 3 lives. So, who can donate?

If you are at least 17 years old and generally in good health you can donate. Some common reasons that people are unable to donate include being on antibiotics, pregnancy and travel (eg: recently being in a country at risk for malaria or the zika virus). Those with piercings and tattoos can donate as long as 6 months has passed since the piercing or tattoo. Did you donate recently? Not a problem! You can safely provide a whole blood donation every 56 days.

Donating blood is a simple and easy process. The entire process, including screening and recovery, takes approximately one hour. The actual process of drawing blood takes about 15 minutes. Prior to giving blood, you will be asked to provide a finger-prick sample to test your iron levels. Your blood pressure and temperature will also be checked and you will be asked to fill in a questionnaire and speak with a trained health professional. A donor will usually give about half a liter of blood (the human body contains 5 liters). Most people feel fine after donating; however some feel a bit dizzy, nauseated or tired. After you have given a blood donation you should drink lots of fluids (non-alcoholic) and avoid strenuous activity for 6-8 hours.

Please join us on March 31st. You have the power to give life. To pre-reserve your timeslot, e-mail Connor at cnielen@oatleyvigmond.com today!