.jpg)
New GLOBULE Blood Donor Centre opens in Québec City
A gift of life experience to discover in the Lebourgneuf district
Québec City, August 29, 2018 – Today marks the opening of the new GLOBULE Blood Donor Centre in the Lebourgneuf district and Héma-Québec is taking advantage of the occasion to raise awareness among residents of the Québec City region about the importance of donating blood. The goal is to welcome 450 blood donors a week and to collect some 23,000 donations a year.
“This ninth blood donor centre is the latest addition to a network of which we can all be proud. The centre is beginning operations at a time of high potential for the development of biological products of human origin. Donations made here will contribute not only to maintaining the collective blood reserve at an optimal level, but also to improving the supply of plasma, a blood component for which demand is constantly increasing,” explains Héma-Québec’s President and CEO Benoit Morin. “Thanks to the commitment of current and future donors, we will be able to reach our goals. I would like to express my sincerest appreciation for their unwavering support for the cause of the gift of life.”
The new centre in the Lebourgneuf district joins another in operation since 2003 in the Borough of Ste-Foy, along with the many mobile blood drives organized locally each week, increasing the number of opportunities to give blood in the National Capital Region.
In addition to whole blood donations, such as those collected at mobile blood drives, the centre will also collect plasma and platelets by apheresis. This type of donation involves the use of an apheresis machine that receives the donor’s blood, separates it into its various components and returns the components not targeted to the donor. In other words, apheresis is a collection technique by which blood components can be collected selectively. The frequency of this type of donation is much higher than for whole blood. A donor can give plasma by apheresis every six days, up to 50 times a year, while whole blood can only be donated every 56 days, six times a year.
The gift of life by and for Quebecers
Yannick Girard, a donor at the Lebourgneuf GLOBULE Blood Donor Centre, is intimately involved with the cause of blood donation. “My daughter Amély was born with Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome. She survived two cancers and underwent a liver transplant before the age of 5. Following numerous operations and chemotherapy treatments, she received blood transfusions on multiple occasions.” This father goes on to describe his admiration for his young daughter who is now nine years old: “Amély is a model of courage and determination for us.” In the same breath, he thanks the thousands of individuals who, like him, are committed to the cause of blood donation.
For more information about the Lebourgneuf GLOBULE Blood Donor Centre, consult the information sheet or visit Héma-Québec’s Web site at www.hema-quebec.qc.ca/index.en.html, section BLOOD > DONORS> Where to donate?
À propos d’Héma-Québec
Héma-Québec’s mission is to efficiently meet the needs of the Québec population for quality blood and other biological products of human origin.
Héma-Québec encompasses 1,300 employees and nearly 240,000 blood, stem cell, mother’s milk and human tissue donors, in addition to thousands of blood drive volunteers. Each year, Héma-Québec delivers some 750,000 human biological products to Québec hospitals to meet the needs of patients.
Give Blood. Give Life.
– 30 –
Source and information
Héma-Québec
Media line: 514-832-0871
www.hema-quebec.qc.ca
Original text in French. In the event of a discrepancy between the English and French versions, the latter will prevail.