Blood donor clinic for child of police officer

DUE TO THE STORM THE CLINIC WILL NOW RUN FROM 1-4PM.

HRP Encourages Members and Citizens to Donate Blood during African Heritage Month.

Halifax Regional Police is encouraging its members and the general public to attend a special blood donor clinic during African Heritage Month. The blood donor clinic is being held at St. John’s Anglican Church in Westphal on Thursday, February 19.The clinic is being held in honour of patients with Sickle Cell Anemia, a blood disorder that is common in people of African descent and one that is impacting the life of Halifax Regional Police Officer Winnell Jackson. Constable Jackson’s 4-year-old son, Kynan, was diagnosed with Sickle Cell Anemia this past summer.

Patients like Kynan, who have sickle cell anemia, aplastic anemia or certain cancers such as leukemia, require blood or stem cell donors that match them very precisely, with the best donors being found in the same ethnic group as the patient.

“You never know how important blood is until someone you love needs it,” says Jackson. “Kynan received his first blood transfusion last summer and will most likely need more throughout his life. I’m grateful to the person who took an hour out of their day to make that donation and with the support of my colleagues I’m encouraging everyone to do the same. If it’s not my son you’re helping, then it will be somebody else’s life you’re saving.”

Currently, African-Canadians are under-represented on both the blood registry and the OneMatch Stem Cell and Marrow Network, posing challenges to Canadian Blood Services when searching for compatible matches for patients in need.

To book an appointment to save a life call 1-888-2-DONATE (1-888-236-6283). To find out more about the donation process or for eligibility information visit www.blood.ca. To find out how you could be the OneMatch to save a person’s life, visit www.onematch.ca.