The paramedics who work in the North Bay area need your blood.
The men and women who work every day to save lives say they can't do that if blood supplies at hospitals run out.
"If someone doesn't get the blood product they require in an emergency situation obviously the results can be fatal." says Jim Stewart, Manager of Nipissing District Paramedic Services.
So, local paramedics have organized a two-day blood drive in North Bay next week, and they say they want to get the word out because their goal is set high at 230 donations.
“I can do as much as I want at work to try to help people but sometimes you feel it's not enough. When they have an internal bleed or an external bleed and we bring them to the hospital, if there's no blood there ultimately that person is going to die." says paramedic, Blaine Leblonde.
Leblonde and his co-workers say if they reach that goal of 230 donations, it’ll cover about a third of the blood supply needed for the area this year.
"The thing with blood products is they don't have a very long shelf life for all of them. Depending on what part of the blood is needed for a patient, it might only last for 30 days the blood. So it's important that through the year people are constantly donating." says Leblonde.
The clinic takes place January 9th and 10th at the Best Western on Lakeshore Drive in North Bay. People are encouraged to drop in or book an appointment ahead of time on the Canadian Blood Services website.
