By Nick Beare and Charlotte Morritt-Jacobs
Students flocked to the Humber concourse today to donate blood for the monthly Canadian Blood Services drive.
Canadian Blood Services was also actively recruiting young men to sign up for a bone marrow registry.
Although all demographics were accepted, men between the ages of 18 to 35 were targeted for the abundance of stem cells in their marrow.
Charlene Goodwin, Territory Manager for the Mississauga/Brampton region of Canadian Blood Services talked about the importance of the registry for people of all backgrounds.
“It’s really critical for ethnic people to register because it’s all based on your ethnicity…and there are a lot of diseases that are only curable through stem cells.”
The registry searches for matches in Canada as well as internationally, and those who participate can be contacted years after registering.
Goodwin also talked about the importance of donating blood.
“If there’s a car accident, you can need up to 50 units of blood, something minor may still require blood. We really need first time donors to join the registry.”
Humber News reporter Charlotte Morritt-Jacobs has the story.