Family hopes blood drive will help healing process

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This article was published 23/04/2022 (1426 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Alfred Jobse’s love for his family, friends, and community will continue to beat through Winnipeg’s veins.

They’ve spearheaded a blood drive in honour of what would have been his 71st birthday, on April 22.

Jobse, who loved sailing and a good debate, died of cancer in September 2021 after spending most of his last hours alone in the ER at Health Sciences Centre. At the time, visiting hours were severely restricted due to the pandemic.

Inspired by the three blood transfusions Jobse was given during his medical treatments “not only as an attempt to save but prolong his life,” the family says that while “there will never be closure,” the blood drive is a step towards healing.

“My dad was a generous person, the epitome of an old gentle soul, and he would’ve done just about anything to help someone who needed it,” said Alicia Thwaites.

“So, this is kind of a way that my sister and I thought we could honour him, just in the hopes that you know, maybe somebody else will be able to have the happy ending that we didn’t get.”

While Jobse has been especially missed in the weeks leading up to the blood drive and birthday, the family is holding on to memories of celebrations past.

“Our kids still talk about him all the time,” said Thwaites, who said Jobse’s grandchildren were everything to him. “But talking about lost loved ones and honouring them in any way that you can… keeps them feeling as close as they can.”

Jobse’s soulmate and partner, Theresa, remembered two years ago when “the girls for his birthday, put a ton of flamingos on our front lawn,” in honour of their Transcona roots. Theresa then sequestered Jobse in the back of the house while Thwaites and Cindy McKague, Jobse’s other daughter, covered the front door with wrapping paper and got Jobse’s four grandchildren to ring the doorbell.

“He had to blast out the front door like Kool-Aid-man style and we then all sat on the front lawn and sang Happy Birthday,” said Thwaites.

Thwaites and McKague want to do the blood drive every year.

It’s a way to honour a man “who cared so greatly about his family, friends, and his community.”

“There isn’t making any of this any better for us but it gives us a little bit of a sense of purpose,” said Thwaites. “Unfortunately, our story doesn’t have a happy ending but without blood donors, there wouldn’t have even been the chance to try.”

The family’s donation team, called “Alfred’s Legacy,” works through Canadian Blood Services with the partner number ALFR0102643.

So far, dozens of people are taking part, but the family still needs more to accomplish their goal of 71 donors, for Jobse’s birthday.

fpcity@freepress.mb.ca