Sikh Nation partners with blood bank to help fill desperate need for plasma donors
The Sikh Nation and Canadian Blood Services have partnered to encourage people to become plasma donors.
Karan Badhesha was at Canadian Blood Services in Sudbury Saturday giving plasma for the third time. He believes this kind of donation is priceless.
"You can't buy these things plasma or blood with money," said Karan Badhesha, a plasma donor. "Like for example if somebody need shelter or food or anything you can buy something. But this is something that doesn't come from money it comes from awareness, it comes from human to the next human. So this is a cause of humanity."
Sudbury was the first of three Plasma only collection centres in Canada.
"We call it liquid gold and that is simply because it can treat so many different illnesses," said Teri-Mai Armstrong, Canadian Blood Services manager of Business Development.
"Things like cancer, disease, RH in newborns, severe burns, immune deficiencies. There are so many different treatments that plasma can help."
Jasmeen Kaur donated plasma for the first time and admits she was anxious at first but says it felt great to make a difference.
"I was nervous excited when I went in. It all went really wonderful and I was nervous excited again. But then I feel proud like I am saving a life, I would be saving a life," said Jasmeen Kaur a plasma donor.
Jasmeen has already booked her next donation next month.
Canadian Blood Services said new donors are desperately needed.
"Sudbury needs to have 125 new donors per month to continue with the need and to continue to meet the collection demand. And so we are so appreciative of all the donors that have come out this far," said Armstrong.
Canadian Blood Services adds the need for plasma is four times greater than what is currently being collected in Canada.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Indian envoy warns of 'big red line,' days after charges laid in Nijjar case
India's envoy to Canada insists relations between the two countries are positive overall, despite what he describes as 'a lot of noise.'
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
Alcohol believed to be a factor in boating incident after 2 men die: N.S. RCMP
Two Nova Scotia men are dead after a boat they were travelling in sank in the Annapolis River in Granville Centre, N.S., on Monday.
Northern Ont. woman makes 'eggstraordinary' find
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
Susan Buckner, who played spirited cheerleader Patty Simcox in 'Grease,' dead at 72
Susan Buckner, best known for playing peppy Rydell High School cheerleader Patty Simcox in the 1978 classic movie musical 'Grease,' has died. She was 72.
Jeremy Skibicki has 'uphill battle' to prove he's not criminally responsible in Winnipeg killings: legal analysts
Accused killer Jeremy Skibicki could have a challenging time convincing a judge that he is not criminally responsible for the deaths of four Indigenous women, a legal analyst says.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
CFL suspends Argos QB Chad Kelly at least nine games following investigation
The CFL suspended Toronto Argonauts quarterback Chad Kelly for at least nine regular-season games Tuesday following its investigation into a lawsuit filed by a former strength-and-conditioning coach against both the player and club.