Two student volunteers help Hémaquébec to save lives—and you can too
As the 2024 National Volunteer Week is coming up April 14–20, 2024, two students of Medicine at Université de Sherbrooke show the example, and share how volunteering for Héma-québec has enriched their lives and studies.
For Mathilde Gosselin and Matisse De Barbeyrac-poissonnier, community engagement has always been an effective means of reinvesting time, learning, and leadership in their community. As new members of Héma-québec’s Youth Cell, they are both involved in various projects with the common goal of bringing together the people of Estrie under the banner of altruism.
“From raising awareness to participating in plasma donation contests, we are working to diversify our approaches to reach potential donors and motivate them to get involved”, says Mathilde. Indeed, promoting Héma-québec and its various initiatives (blood, plasma, mother’s milk, stem cells, tissues, etc.) is crucial in Estrie to maintain adequate product reserves. “As second-year medical students, this cause concerns us even more as we witness the importance of blood products for patients and the direct impact they have in their own and their families’ lives”, says Matisse.
Perseverance, dedication, and
community
It was during her fifth year of secondary school that Mathilde Gosselin was first introduced to Héma-québec’s efforts when her school organized a blood drive as part of the biology course. Being ineligible to donate until recently due to type 1 diabetes, she has always maintained a keen interest in the organization and its mission, occasionally checking to see if the donation criteria had changed, which happened on December 4, 2023. “I was able to make my first plasma donation in February 2024 and am now on my fifth!” She says. “There is nothing easier than sitting in a comfortable chair at the Plasmavie Donor Centre in Sherbrooke, chatting with the staff, and ending it all with a pleasant snack! Moreover, I always bring a friend along, turning it into a social gathering while also increasing the number of donations! It’s a topic that interests me, and the real and positive outcomes motivate me to continue spreading awareness.”
For Matisse De Barbeyrac-poissonnier, community organization is something he has continuously incorporated into his work for the past five years, and more recently in his leadership role in Héma-québec’s Volunteer Youth Cell in Sherbrooke. It all started when his parents decided to use their various skills abroad as volunteers, and instilled their values of dedication in all of their children. “For me, bringing together a team and working on a cause that unites us all is what motivates me the most,” he says. “During my cégep years, I was able to exercise my leadership and dedication with the MEDLIFE organization: a humanitarian trip to Peru not only showed me that we were not only capable of undertaking projects larger than ourselves but also that we had a real impact!” An impact this young man and his team continue to foster right here in Sherbrooke, for Héma-québec and the benefit of the people of Québec.
Working together to improve more
and more lives
“Knowing the high participation rate of our peers in projects with Hémaquébec, we were delighted at the idea of bringing together some students to promote donations,” they added. “Ultimately, the diversity of donors is an issue that is important to us, as it ensures that each of us will have the chance to receive transfusions when needed. That is why we call for you to take one more step towards action and schedule an appointment to donate, or even better, to do it with a friend!”
To book an appointment for a donation or for more information about how you can help, call 1 800 343-7264, or use the online Jedonne application at https:// jedonne.hema-quebec.qc.ca/.