Man makes 224th donation to Canadian Blood Services
Canadian Blood Services in Barrie is working to fill hundreds of empty appointments this month, with the service relying on the generosity of many regular donors.
At the beginning of February, officials say there were 700 empty appointments that needed to be filled. Jack Barnett has been donating for decades. He recently made his 224th donation.
"Everybody needs a hand, and this is my way of helping," says Barnett. "I was in scouting, and that was one of our commitments, was service, and I've continued since 18."
Officials with Canadian Blood Services say donations are needed for a wide variety of patient needs, including children battling leukemia and other cancers who require frequent transfusions.
"You can make all the difference in a patient's life," says Cheryl Russell, the community development officer with the Barrie location. "You can give them the opportunity to thrive and return home to their families; you can help them go back to work and be part of this wonderful community we call Barrie; they can return to the playgrounds and play with their friends again."
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Canadian Blood Services lost 31,000 regular donors. It has worked to make the booking process as easy as possible. Appointments can be made online, through its app or over the phone.
"It is yours to give, it's free to give, and it's so very simple," says Russell. "It's something that will give you, I call it, the warm and fuzzy at the end of the day, and we want to make sure that everyone feels comfortable here."
Giving to those in need is what has kept Barnett donating for decades.
"It's so easy to give, it just takes a bit of time, and you can help so many people; it's the way to go," says Barnett.
For more information on how to book an appointment, click here.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Honda to get up to $5B in govt help for EV battery, assembly plants
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
BREAKING New York appeals court overturns Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction from landmark #MeToo trial
New York’s highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, finding the judge at the landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced the ex-movie mogul with improper rulings, including a decision to let women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case.
1 arrested in northern Alberta during public shelter order
Residents of John D'Or Prairie, a community on the Little Red River Cree Nation in northern Alberta, were told to take shelter Thursday morning during a police operation.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
Monthly earnings rise, payroll employment falls: jobs report
The number of vacant jobs in Canada increased in February, while monthly payroll employment decreased in food services, manufacturing, and retail trade, among other sectors.
First in Canada procedure performed at London, Ont. hospital
A London man has become the first person in Canada to receive a robotic assisted surgery on his spine. Dave Myeh suffered from debilitating, chronic back pain that led to sciatica in his right now and extreme pain in his lower back.
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.