Red Deer's Leslie Bangamba with her daughter Amélie Adolphe. (Madison Jamie Photography)

By Sheldon Spackman

Canada's Lifeline

Appointments to fill in Red Deer for National Blood Donor Week

Jun 17, 2021 | 12:16 PM

Leslie Bangamba of Red Deer already knew the importance of blood donation, having a sibling who was born with sickle cell anemia and in need of blood transfusions for treatment.

However, after her one-year-old daughter at the time, Amélie, swallowed a lithium button battery in April, 2020, Bangamba has since become an even stronger advocate for the importance of blood donations.

Donors themselves since 2012, Bangamba and her husband Astrel Adolphe, say never in a million years did they think that one of their own children may need that life-saving treatment from blood transfusions.

“After our daughter’s incident, realizing that the only reason she’s alive and even had a chance for the doctors to perform the emergency open-heart surgery was because of blood transfusions,” exclaims Bangamba. “Let’s say they had a low supply of blood. Basically that conversation would have been a different conversation with our doctors.”

Bangamba says it’s a very personal matter for her when she encourages other Canadians to strongly consider rolling up their sleeves to help save lives.

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“Because of blood donors, our daughter had a chance to survive and she’s now recovering,” adds Bangamba. “It’s so important that people know you’re literally saving life. You’re a super hero whether you believe it or not.”

“You might never get to meet the person whose life you’re saving or the time you’re giving, whether it be a cancer patient giving them that extra six months with their family to create those memories. Whatever it is, you are changing a life for the better,” she implores.

National Blood Donor Week runs June 13-19, with Canadian Blood Services celebrating donors who keep Canada’s Lifeline alive.

“We are immensely grateful for their generosity and for their commitment to help with patients who need the life-saving blood products because everything we do to help patients in Canada depends on these donors,” explains Marissa Stryker, Territory Manager for Canadian Blood Services.

Stryker says there are roughly 95 open appointments to donate blood in Red Deer this week, with about 276 open appointments that need to be filled for the remainder of June.

She further notes the blood donor clinic in Red Deer having a goal of bringing in about 94 appointments per day to garner the support needed for Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre and other local care centres.

“Through COVID, we have received an incredible amount of support. It really did bring out the best in those who are already committed to the blood system in Canada,” admits Stryker. “Again, just a call out to say, ‘Thank You’ but to continue to come into the donor centres, especially during the summer.”