Sydney woman upset by ‘urgent’ call for blood
Mother wishes to donate in son’s memory but no clinic available
A Sydney mother who lost her son to cancer would like to keep his memory alive through blood donations.
The problem is there is nowhere in her community to donate.
JoAnne Frost lost her son, Nicholas Frenette, to an aggressive form of lymphoma three years ago in August. During his four-month battle, the 22-yearold metal fabricator received more than 30 blood transfusions.
“You’re struggling for ways to keep that connection,” Frost said of the loss of her child. “It was about (nine) months later they closed down (the Sydney blood collection office). It’s makes me angry and emotional to see posts calling for urgent donations.”
On Monday, Canadian Blood Services issued a plea for 23,000 donors by July 2, to ensure patients continue to have access to the blood and blood products they need.
According to the organization, summer is one of the most challenging times for Canada’s blood system as people are often away or busy with other activities.
“I know what it’s like to have somebody in need of that unit of blood,” Frost said. “Every day we would wake up and not know — it was either do you need transfusion today, or don’t you? It was just part of the daily process.”
Frost said she became a regular donor at a former clinic located on Grand Lake Road. Officials closed the building in 2015 due to a decrease in the demand for blood and a drying up of donations.
“I gave every 56 days and my partner too,” Frost said. “It was something we decided was a way of honouring my son.”
Although there are mobile clinics held in Port Hawkesbury they involve making an over three-hour round trip.
“It’s just not feasible,” said Frost.
Peter MacDonald, Atlantic Canada director of donor relations for Canadian Blood Services, said the organization does hear from Sydney-area residents who wish to continue donating blood.
He said he understands why many cannot make the trek to the Strait region.
“We certainly don’t have an expectation,” said MacDonald.
“Hospital demand for blood products have been declining globally for a number of years and there’s been no impact on patient care whatsoever. Every hospital patient from Port Hawkesbury, through Inverness, Glace Bay and Sydney, receives blood and blood products when they need it.”
MacDonald said there are currently enough clinics in Atlantic Canada to meet all of their supply needs.
Each year, the organization issue a special statement prior to the summer months to ensure that blood donor clinics meet their targets.
Canadian Blood Services has examined the possibility of sending a mobile clinic to the Sydney area but at this point it does not seem feasible.
Frost said she has a hard time understanding the organization’s logic.
“How can they be posting that they need urgent blood donations? It just seems contradictory.”