Penhold woman officially earns Guinness World Record for most blood donations

Michaluk says she donated for the first time in 1965 while visiting her sister who was on her way to donate. Requesting if she could come with her, her sister suggested she donate herself.

“I felt really good after. I thought, ‘this is alright, I have lots of energy for a few days.’ It just seemed to pick me up,” she said.

Shortly after, she says she got pregnant and couldn’t donate for eight years following the births of her four daughters. According to the Canadian Blood Services, pregnant women cannot donate blood and must wait six months after giving birth to be eligible again.

However, after her third child, Michaluk says she suffered two miscarriages.

“I lost a lot of blood and they had to give me three pints and then two pints,” she said. “I’m sure grateful that somebody gave me five pints.”

“The first time I donated, I got a card in the mail saying what blood type I was and that it’s a real good thing to have in your wallet in case you’re ever in an accident,” she said.

“They can have blood at the hospital that you’re going to when you get there. That’s the way it was when I miscarried; they had the blood at the Innisfail Hospital before my husband got me there. It saved my life twice.”

Michaluk says she has an O-positive blood type, which is the most common type in Canada with 39 per cent of citizens.

Following this experience, Michaluk says she began to donate as much as she could.

Prior to 2016, women and men were able to donate blood at the same rate every eight weeks. However, that period was changed to 12 weeks for women in order to ensure high hemoglobin levels, the iron-rich protein in red blood cells that transport oxygen to organ and tissues while removing carbon dioxide. Men are also required to pass a test ensuring their hemoglobin levels are between 125-135 grams per litre.

“It’s needed,” she said. “These people that have accidents besides all these surgeries that have to happen and a lot of them are on hold because there isn’t enough blood. There’s so many types of blood; they have to have certain types for certain people.”

According to the Canadian Blood Services, the current blood inventory in the country, excluding Quebec, is three days’ worth for O-positive. Inventory is also low for A-positive, A-negative, B-negative, and O-negative.

The previous world record holder was a woman named Madhura Ashok Kumar from Bengaluru, Karnataka, India on May 21, 2022 donating 117 units.

It was Michaluk’s eldest daughter that noticed the record and entered her mother’s name with Guinness.

“That’s such a shock because when I think about it, why hasn’t somebody done more than that?” she asked, stating that over the years she missed donating due to surgeries, babies and miscarriages, she could have given 78 more pints.

“There’s a lot of women that don’t want to have babies so they can gain time there for donating.”

The Town of Penhold’s council acknowledged Michaluk’s record at their October 11 meeting “for reaching this milestone and for her ongoing selfless act to help others,” they said.

“I’m just going to keep going. As long as my iron’s good and I’m healthy, might as well keep giving,” she said. “It doesn’t cost anything, doesn’t take anything out of your pocket. Just go and take the time.”

Her 204th donation will be on December 23.

To book an appointment to donate blood or plasma, visit blood.ca, on the GiveBlood app, or by calling 1 888 2 DONATE (1-888-236-6283).

READ: New and returning blood donors needed in Red Deer

by Alessia Proietti

Penhold woman officially earns Guinness World Record for most blood donations

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