HÉMA-QUÉBEC's holiday campaign makes good headway

Montréal, December 19, 2002 - This year's Héma-Québec holiday campaign, which began on December 2, is focused on the theme of Get Wrapped up in Life. At this midway point of the campaign, more than 15,400 people have given blood at the 102 clinics held throughout Québec.

By the time this holiday campaign ends on January 5, 2003, Héma-Québec will have held some 248 blood clinics with various partners in the community, with the goal of receiving 28,600 donors throughout Québec.

Blood continues to be a product that is essential, perishable and irreplaceable. Every blood donation is a precious gift for recipients, and can help to save as many as four lives. The 450 millilitres of blood given by a donor can be fractionated into a variety of components such as packed red blood cells, plasma, platelet concentrate and cryoprecipitate, used to treat hemophilia or any other clotting factor deficiencies.

Anyone between the ages of 18 and 60 who is in good health can give blood. A donor who has given blood in the past two years can, with the approval of our medical personnel, continue to donate until age 71. Eligible donors can give blood every 56 days, or six times a year.

Héma-Québec's mission is to efficiently provide adequate quantities of safe, top-quality blood components and substitutes to meet the needs of all Quebeckers; provide and develop expertise, services, along with specialized and innovative products in the fields of transfusion medecine and human tissue transplantation.

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