I remember as a child, sitting, waiting and watching my mother donate at the local rec centre. As an adult and father, I saw an ad for Canadian Blood Services and decided to become a donor too.
Last year, my mother had heart surgery and required many units. While talking with co-workers about a sense of duty to repay the blood used for my mom, a few of them decided to become donors also. This past year, in support of a very close friend, I also became involved with a men’s cancer support group, the Sea Wolves, a local chapter of Man Up to Cancer. Many of these men require blood during various surgeries, another reason I found for myself to continue donating.
This summer, a couple of weeks before my next scheduled donation, tragedy fell upon me when I was struck at an intersection, while on my motorcycle, by a car running a red light. Thankfully, after a few long surgeries, I’m still here and will make a decent recovery. After waking a few days after the accident, I was still receiving more units as my hemoglobin remained quite low.
On the day I was meant to meant to make my next donation, I instead put out a plea to friends and family on my Facebook page, asking them to donate in my place to continue to pay it forward for my mom, the men’s group, and now to pay back all the units I had received to save my own life. My page quickly started to fill with friends' selfies at the donation centre, holding signs with “1st time” or “for Graeme”. They even did their own blood drives during a few fundraising events for my family, where they had the blood.ca page loaded and encouraged people to sign up for donations.
It’s now three months since the accident and I’m still recovering in hospital. Many of those first donors are now posting their second donation selfies, or posting dates of their next appointments! It’s been amazing to watch a community rally around me and my family, and I’m thrilled that so many are now contributing to Canadian Blood Services. Keep up your amazing, life saving work!
