RH negative blood is rare and inventory is low (OTTAWA) – Preparations for Canada Day are underway and Canadian Blood Services wants people to think of blood donation as a gift to their country. We need all blood donors to book an appointment now, particularly those with Rh negative blood. “Only about 15 percent of Canadians are negative for the Rh antigen, which means that there is an absence of a particular protein on the surface of their red blood cells,” says Dr. Tanya Petraszko, associate medical director at Canadian Blood Services. “Blood from donors who are negative for the Rh antigen

Canadians asked to go social and rally together this National Blood Donor Week June 10, 2013 (OTTAWA) – Canadian Blood Services is asking Canadians to get Behind the Blood Signal when the blood drop shaped icon is activated during National Blood Donor Week, June 10-16. The Blood Signal is intended to connect people to the idea of making a donation at specific times of the year when the need for blood is greatest—like summer. Behind the Blood Signal was chosen as this year’s theme for National Blood Donor Week to educate more Canadians that when they see the Blood Signal, it means “give blood