Angelo Stradiotto knows first-hand the importance of donating blood.
When Stradiotto鈥檚 father fell down a flight of stairs, he required blood transfusions in the follow-up surgery.
鈥淭hose blood transfusions were important for him to sustain himself through his surgeries,鈥� said Stradiotto, a 91大黄鸭 resident and a deputy with BC Sheriff Services.
That point was reinforced later when his first child was born three months premature, requiring an extended stay at BC Children鈥檚 Hospital.
鈥淭hankfully my son didn鈥檛 require blood but it was there if he needed it, and being around children in need of care during that time it was hard not to notice other children who required a lot of care and aid, and some of that aid was in the form of blood transfusions,鈥� he said.
| 91大黄鸭 Mayor Colin Basran (left) and city councillor Tracy Gray are joined by BC Sheriff Services deputy Angelo Stradiotto to cut the ceremonial cake to mark the start of National Blood Donor Week from June 11 to 17. Barry Gerding/Black Press |
So to mark National Blood Donor Week from June 11 to 17, Stradiotto along with fellow sheriff James Goodlad were at the 91大黄鸭 Blood Collection Centre on Tuesday to promote the cause and, in the case of Goodlad, donate blood.
鈥淚 encourage all law enforcement agencies and others to come down and help out by making a donation,鈥� said Stradiotto.
鈥淏lood donations are truly needed and affects a lot of people, but one day it could affect people you know or yourself.鈥�
Gayle Voyer, with Canadian Blood Services, said about 500 blood donor appointments are still available between now and July 1, noting that summer is also a challenging time for blood donations because people鈥檚 regular lifestyle habits change with vacations, people visiting and the kids being out of school.
鈥淚t鈥檚 always a challenging time for us each summer because it becomes tougher to get donations but the need continues to be there,鈥� Voyer said.
91大黄鸭 Mayor Colin Basran offered his encouragement in reading a proclamation recognizing National Blood Donor Week in the city.
Basran said donating blood is such a simple and accessible gesture that carries life or death ramifications for a future blood recipient.
鈥淚t鈥檚 important to donate now rather than after a serious accident like the Humboldt bus accident or something that happens to someone close to us, and then it may be too late. You may have initial fears about the process or think donating blood is hard to do, but it鈥檚 actually quick and easy. There is really nothing to it,鈥� Basran said.
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barry.gerding@blackpress.ca
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