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Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION
Bloody battle for bursary helped by health minister
Boris Minkevich / Winnipeg Free Press Provincial Health Minister Theresa Oswald was recruited by Graeme Fortlage (right) to give blood. (WINNIPEG FREE PRESS) Photo Store
HEALTH Minister Theresa Oswald barely winced when a needle poked through the skin of her arm Monday afternoon at a Canadian Blood Services blood-donor clinic.
"I am not going to lie, I wasn't a terrific first-time donor," Oswald said as blood started to flow from her arm to a bag. "I was a bit woozy, but then I got my legs under me and I think I've been a good donor ever since," she said with a laugh.
The minister has a variety of reasons for donating, and many come in the form of statistics.
"One bad car accident, 50 donors are needed to treat just that one person," she explained. "People that are going through leukemia treatment, eight people need to do what I'm doing right now just to deal with that person," she said.
Although Oswald has donated blood for 20 years, she was recruited to make an appointment to donate this time by Graeme Fortlage, a University of Manitoba student.
Fortlage is part of the Canadian Blood Services' Assignment Saving Lives, a student bursary program that helps students cover their tuition fees when they recruit people to donate blood. The program is open to students in grades 11 and 12 and those who are getting a post-secondary education.
"In the summer months, donations are at their absolute lowest," Fortlage explained as he held Oswald's hand. "With the health minister donating blood, it means that I am getting the word out to more and more people."
Fortlage has recruited 27 people to donate blood this summer. He is up against a deadline of Sept. 1 to recruit the most people out of all students taking part in Assignment Saving Lives. Although his first time donating blood was on his 17th birthday, he was familiar with the importance of donating long before that.
"My mom has been bringing me to the centre every time she donates blood ever since I was three years old, so it's sort of been always a part of my life," he said. "I also had two aunts who went in for surgery for cancer and they both required blood transfusions, which sort of spurred me on and got me more involved with Canadian Blood Services."
Fortlage said if he wins a bursary, it will go towards the tuition he owes as a second-year student in the U of M's music education program.
The recruitment program takes place during the summer, but Canadian Blood Services looks for donors year-round.
"Across the country, only four per cent of the population donates," said Adrienne Silver, communications specialist for Canadian Blood Services. "We do have a number of very dedicated regular donors, and they need a little bit of a break, too."
Canadian Blood Services operates more than 20,000 donor clinics per year, nationwide. Anyone interested in donating can get more information by phoning 1-888 2 DONATE (1-888-236-6283).
kristy.hoffman@freepress.mb.ca
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition July 10, 2012 A2
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