Another successful blood drive
Jon McComber gave blood on Tuesday, one of 72 people to do so at this week’s blood donor clinic in Kahnawake. Courtesy KMHC
When Jon McComber went to the Knights of Columbus on Tuesday for the Kateri Memorial Hospital Centre (KMHC) blood donor clinic, he joked that he donates for the free pretzels.
But McComber, who has donated 16 times, has put a lot more thought than that into his decision to give blood.
“I got sober 10 years ago, and I saw they were giving blood. I said ‘you know what, I want to do something, I want to give back, because all my life I just took,’” he said.
“When I got sober and I saw that, I was like what a wonderful way to give back. So I got my act together, and I went to go give blood. That’s how it started.”
What he discovered in giving blood is that it’s fun, an easy way to make the world a better place.
“It was truly rewarding,” he said. “There are so many smiles, so many people to help you. There’s laughter all the way around. It’s easy. There are so many people there to help you and direct you. You’re not just going in there and having to ask where do I go. They’re like ‘Hey, how are you?’ It’s very welcoming.”
It was the second blood donor clinic of the year for KMHC, which holds the clinic in partnership with Hema Quebec after taking over from The Eastern Door last year.
In all, 72 donors came out for the collection.
According to Kateri Memorial Hospital Centre (KMHC) executive director Valerie Diabo, the venue was changed from the Mohawk Super Bingo to the Knights of Columbus to help encourage walk-in donations, a decision that paid off, she said, with an increase in walk-in donors.
“We had first-time donors and we had people who have given blood more than 20 times. For us, it was a real success, and we’ll be looking forward to duo doing it again in the spring,” she said, adding a big niá:wen to everyone who participated.
“It’s important to give blood because you just never know when a person will need blood,” Diabo said. “It could be going for routine treatments they need. It could be accidents. It’s very important we give the gift of life.”
The drive fits into KMHC’s mission, she said. “We’re always here to give back. One way of giving back is donating blood.”
The sentiment was echoed by Josée Larivée, spokesperson for Hema Quebec, who said she was very pleased with the turnout.
“If we think that every single person saves three lives, it’s more than 200 people who will benefit from these donors,” said Larivée.
She noted that among those who turned up, seven were donating blood for the first time. It might not sound like a lot, but with so many first-time donors becoming repeat donors at future blood drives, Larivée sees it only as a positive.
“It’s a big number, and we’re very happy. It’s excellent,” she said.
Hospitals in Quebec use 1,000 blood donations a day, so the need for collections is never ending.
“It’s important to give blood because if we do not give blood, there’s no other way we can produce blood,” Larivée said. “Big Pharma doesn’t have the recipe to produce blood in a lab.”
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She even suggests people discuss blood donations as they go about their weekends, keeping the idea in mind and encouraging others to give it a try.
“It’s not dangerous. It’s safe to give blood. It’s as safe to give blood as it is to receive blood. It’s easy. If you’re healthy, if you don’t take too many medications, it’s a very easy way to save people’s lives,” Larivée said.
“It’s a gift,” said McComber, who donates at clinics around the region. “The gift of giving is just a wonderful feeling. It’s a warm feeling.”
Marcus Bankuti, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
