Canadian Blood Services is asking Red Deer residents to help fill 190 appointments by 2014.

For patients in need of blood products, the act of blood donation is a ‘miracle’ and blood donors are ‘miracle workers’. This sentiment was the inspiration for Canadian Blood Services’ 2013 Holiday Miracle campaign. The campaign encourages community members from coast to coast to help meet patient need by giving blood over the holidays.

Within the next few weeks, Canadian Blood Services needs to collect almost 19,000 blood donations nationally—including 480 donations from Red Deer donors. Currently, more than 190 appointments are still available, particularly on Boxing Day and New Year’s Eve.

“Blood is perishable, especially platelets–which are part of blood. Platelets have a shelf life of just five days. That means giving blood immediately before or after holidays, like Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, is critical at this time of year,” said Community Development Coordinator Tanya Paul. “We need community members to rally around patients this holiday season and help make miracles come true.”

To be a patient’s holiday miracle Red Deerians are asked to call 1-888-2-Donate (1-888-236-6283) or go online at www.blood.ca to book an appointment at Red Deer Miracle blood donor clinic (5020 68 St.)

Holiday hours for the blood donor clinic include Boxing Day from 11 a.m.- 7 p.m., Dec. 27 from 9 a.m.- 1 p.m., Dec. 28 from 9 a.m.- 1 p.m. and New Year’s Eve from 9 a.m.- 1 p.m.

The clinic will be closed Christmas Day, Dec. 29 and New Year’s Day.

Red Deerians can also share their holiday miracle story on Canadian Blood Services’ facebook page at www.facebook.com/AlbertaBlood and on Twitter at #giveamiracle.

While there is a continuous need for all blood types; there is a current need for donors with O-negative blood. When someone’s life is on the line and there’s no time to check blood type, hospital patients can receive O-negative blood.

– Fawcett