Supporting Canadian Blood Services: Beyond Donations

Have you ever wondered about the impact  Canadian Blood Services has on patient lives? Join us for a compelling conversation with Jhoanna Del Rosario as she walks us through the many ways you can support Canadian Blood Services beyond blood donation. From financial contributions to registering for stem cell and organ donations, there are numerous avenues to make a difference. Jhoanna shares details about the impactful, Assignment Saving Lives, bursary scholarship program designed to recruit new donors among post-secondary students and emphasizes the urgent need for donations, especially from diverse ethnic groups.  

During the episode Jhoanna opens up about her own father's battle with stage four lung cancer in the Philippines and how that personal experience highlighted the contrast between blood donation systems in Canada and abroad. Her story is a powerful reminder of why a reliable blood donation system is crucial, and how her passion has driven the growth of the Partners for Life program, ensuring a steady supply of blood for those in need.

Key Messages in the Episode

• Jhoanna’s Story
• Why Canadian Blood Services
• Partners for Life
• Assignment Saving Lives
• How to donate blood & other ways to support
• Calgary’s New Blood Donor Centre

About Our Guests

Jhoanna Del Rosario is the Community Development Manager for Canadian Blood Services Calgary. Jhoanna has been with Canadian Blood Services for 14 years and is responsible for donor relations, donor recruitment and partnership management for the Calgary fixed site donor center. With over 48,000 whole blood units’ collections target and 5000 new donor targets, the Canadian Blood Services Calgary fixed site is one the most successful and largest blood donor center in Canada. Jhoanna grew the Partners for Life program from 40 partner organizations in 2010 to currently over 500 partner organizations supporting Canadian Blood Services.

What is Give Amplify Connect?

There’s a story behind every action. Give Amplify Connect is a podcast from the Wolfe Pack Warriors Foundation that gives a voice to the Alberta-based charitable organizations creating community impact, changing lives, and making a difference. Driven by honest conversations with host Kristy Wolfe, it’s a chance for passionate changemakers to share their story. 

Learn more at wolfepackwarriors.com

Podcast music used with artist permission
"Okay" by Ellen Braun 

Transcript

Blood Donation Impact in Alberta

Speaker 1 0:00

These are the products that are needed by our patients in the hospital. So there is always a constant need, and we never stop knocking on doors, on organizations and all you donors, to make sure that you're booking your appointment, your next appointment, and becoming a regular blood donor.

Speaker 2 0:18

Welcome to Give Amplify Connect, the Wolfpack Warriors Foundation podcast that dives deeper into the stories of the charitable organizations in Alberta that are making a difference. Host and producer Christy Wolf sits down with the leaders of the nonprofit world to learn more about their purpose, hopes and dreams. Settle in for an honest conversation with Christy about the impact people are making in their communities and how they keep moving forward.

Speaker 3 0:47

With me today is Joanna Del Rosario from Canadian Blood Services. Joanna, will you take a minute and introduce yourself and Canadian Blood Services to our audience?

Speaker 1 0:58

Absolutely so well, thanks for having me. I'm Christy and this is my first time doing a podcast. I'm very excited when you actually invited me to participate. So I work for Canadian Blood Services. I've been with Canadian Blood Services for 14 years. I'm responsible for the collections the whole blood collections, for the Calgary Fix site. It's one of the largest blood donor centers in Canada and the most successful. So I started in 2010 and 14 years later, I'm still here being passionate about what I do. So just to give you a heads up that Canadian Blood Services is a nonprofit organization and our mission is to help every patient, to match every need and to serve every Canadian to match every need and to serve every Canadian. We are also in the business or dedicated to make sure that we have safe, relevant, quality products and services, and we really rely entirely on the generosity of our volunteers, our partners and donors in order for us to meet collection targets for whole blood plasma platelets, and we also do stem cell recruitment and organs and tissues. So that's basically it.

Speaker 3 2:14

Yeah, there's so much, and Joanna and I have actually met in person and been involved in a couple different initiatives and I know from a personal perspective I have a story about why Canadian Blood Services is important to me. But, joanna, why is Canadian Blood Services important to you? How did you get started with them?

Speaker 1 2:31

Well, good question. So I was a pharmaceutical sales representative by profession, so I am more of like a corporate sales girl, so to speak. And since, after graduating university, I worked for Big Pharma selling drugs like legal drugs, and I've done that for many, many years until I actually migrated to Canada in 2002 with my husband and my son was one year old then. So I worked for a couple of big farmers in Calgary and 2009, I was laid off. Fortunately enough, I got Canadian Blood Services to hire me as their community coordinator development coordinator then. So that started my career in Canadian Blood Services and 14 years after, I'm still here. But just to give you a heads up, christy, after a couple of years with Canadian Blood Services, I wanted to actually go back to Big Pharma, because, of course, it pays well, it's nonprofit, it's corporate.

Speaker 1 3:39

But something happened in 2012 that changed my mind. So my father was actually diagnosed with lung cancer stage four in January of 2012. But the challenge was he does not live here in Calgary, so he lives in Manila, the Philippines, where this blood system is completely different from our blood system here in Canada. So when he was diagnosed, I went straight back to the Philippines, cared for him for a couple of weeks, but I had to go back to Calgary because Calgary is my home. When I came back to Calgary, my mom called me that time I still remember that was in February, and she said that my dad will need eight units of a positive blood type. I was kicking myself. I was already there. I'm a positive.

Speaker 1 4:33

I should have been there to donate blood for my dad and it was the most devastating time of our lives, because it's not just you know me not being there, it's we're racking up bills, medical bills like hundreds of thousands of dollars, because we want to make sure that we give him the best treatment option, money he can buy. But you know, and then I was here in Calgary and I can't do anything. Imagine the frustration. So what I did was I had to call my friends or, you know, message my friends, email my friends to go to the hospital to donate blood for my dad. So, lucky enough, I'm still thankful for some of our friends who went to the hospital and donated blood for my father. But it has, you know, my frustration on escaping myself. It should have been me besides the daughter and I made positive and that experience taught me like oh my gosh, we have such a great blood system in Canada compared to the rest of the world. We're so lucky to be this country that we don't have to worry about medical bills. We don't have to worry about finding blood donors for your loved one, for your family, because that's already being done by Canadian Blood Services, and my job was to do that. Yeah, yeah. So it was such an unfortunate experience that happened to my family. So after a couple of months, my dad passed away in April and it was devastating news.

Speaker 1 6:11

I went back to the Philippines and came back to Calgary and that was the time when I was actually my headhunter contacted me if I wanted to actually apply to another pharmaceutical company, and that was the time that my decision was to stay in Canadian Blood Services. Because you know what, if I wasn't able to donate blood for my dad, I will be able to actually create awareness to the community on the importance of blood donation. I can be the voice of all the patients here in Calgary. I can be the voice of all the patients here in Calgary.

Speaker 1 6:46

I've grown the Partners for Life program from 40 companies to 500 companies within the 14 years I've been with Canadian Abolition Services and every time they invite me to speak, to do some lunch and learns and talks. I've been sharing my story, telling everybody. You know what we're so blessed to be in this country, give back to the community and give back to Canada, to, you know, to help our patients in need. So that's why I've stayed in this industry. I stayed in Canadian Blood Services and I don't think I'll be moving to another organization.

Speaker 3 7:24

Yeah Well, and Joanna, you do a fabulous job. I got to meet you in person when we were doing so. The Wolfpack Warriors is a partner for life with Canadian Blood Services, and I'm actually going to go a little further back. So the way I first got involved was my son was having his second open heart surgery and I just felt like I needed something to do while he was in surgery.

Speaker 3 7:46

So my brother, my husband and I went across the street from the Stollery Children's Hospital in Edmonton and we donated blood for the first time, and then it just became a bit of a tradition. So around his surgery date in February, around Heart Week, we would spend time donating and then we just started talking about it with some of our friends and family, and that's how we put together a Partners for Life team. So that same idea of like that personal connection, when you realize how important this is, when I hadn't thought about that before. So we've had the Partners for Life team. I know we also just recently, kane actually came out to the Canmore Eagles game and the Calgary Hitman game and dropped the puck again just to help raise awareness. Because it's true, there's stories that are needed to help spread the word around blood donation, organ donation, all of those pieces, and so he was really excited to be a part of that and you did such a phenomenal job of welcoming him in and just making our family feel comfortable, so thank you for that.

Speaker 1 8:47

Well, absolutely, because I love your family, I love Kate and I've met so many families for the 14 years I've been with Canadian W Services that you know everybody is just so you know they're kind and you know helpful in creating awareness with a need for blood and blood products, because they have a story to tell and I really appreciate Wolfpack Warriors for being our partner and your generosity for you know, for you know getting the awareness out there. Thank you, thank you, christy.

Speaker 3 9:20

Absolutely, and we've made a financial contribution to your Assignment, saving Lives again for this summer. So that's a project that happens in the summer. Do you want to talk a little bit about?

Saving Lives Through Blood Donation

Speaker 1 9:31

that one, absolutely. That's amazing. Well, this is the first time I've heard about that, that you're a part of it. So thanks for letting me know. Assigned Saving Lives is actually for all the students in post-secondary. It doesn't have to be post-secondary universities, it can be some colleges. You just have to actually recruit the donors on your profile and the new donors on your profile and you win a birth ring for the highest number of donors that you actually recruit. So it is a good program. It's a birth year program, it's a scholarship program for all students.

Speaker 3 10:03

Well and I kind of sprung that on you because I just realized that's what the donation was going to this year, so I just wanted to touch on it. But I also wanted to touch on the fact that there's lots of different ways to get involved with Canadian Blood Services, because we know not everybody can donate blood or donate plasma, and so could you talk a little bit about how people can help by giving or amplifying or connecting with you? What are some different ways that people can actually get involved For?

Speaker 1 10:31

sure. So the first thing you know, if you can't donate blood this is what I always say to all the companies or organizations that I work with Like it's not everybody can donate blood. One out of two of the donors can donate and the other half can't. So what can we do? What are other ways that we can help and support Canadian Blood Services? So one thing is financial donations. Thank you, wolfpack Wars, for that bursary scholarship program that you're supporting. So one thing is financial donations. Thank you, wolfpack Wars, for that bursary scholarship program that you're supporting. So that's one thing.

Speaker 1 10:58

So if you need more information about how to donate funds, just go online at bloodca. You can also register your intent for your stem cell donation. So we do have events across the country. We're looking for 17 to 35 years of age donors to be part of our stem cell registry. Or if you just need a donor stem cell kit, go online, ask for a stem cell kit. We will send that to you at your home address and you can just do swabbing yourself and you can just put it in the mail. So basically, you're registering for stem cell to be part of the international registry. So if a leukemia patient in Germany is matched with you, then we will call you and ask you if you can donate your stem cell to this leukemia patient. So we are part of that international donor base. Donate your stem cell to this leukemia patient? So we are part of that international donor base. So another way is to register your intent to donate your organs and tissues. So more information can be found at bloodca as well.

Speaker 3 12:05

Well, and I live in Canmore and so I noticed that Canadian Blood Services comes about once every two months. They set up a mobile clinic. It is always busy. People have difficulty getting appointments. There's so much interest in giving, but I know in Calgary and Edmonton and probably some of your larger sites, there's continuous appointments available, so just get yourself booked in. A lot of your criteria recently has opened up even more. I know a lot of people who have lived in the UK who are now able to donate and have been going as first-time donors, so that was really exciting to see as well. Are there any stories that come to mind if I say, like, how do you feel like Canadian Blood Services has made an impact? Like you talked about your own family, but are there any stories that come to mind that have kind of stuck with you through the years?

Speaker 1 12:49

Absolutely there's so many stories to mention because I've dealt with so many patient families. You know, for sample, for stem cell, looking for a match, that's very difficult, especially for diverse ethnic groups that we need to help the most, and it's very hard for us to look for a match. And if we do find a match, then you know we get to help the patient to survive. So that's something. So we have so many patient campaigns that we're looking for matches and doing stem cell to grow, stem cell registry.

Speaker 1 13:19

There's families that you know needed blood because you know their child had an accident and needed about 50 units, that's 50 donors needed to save one patient in a car accident. So those are the stories that why I'm actually doing what I'm doing and everything we do matter. So the Canadian blood services, we do matter. These are the products that are needed by our patients in the hospital. So there is always a constant need and we never stop knocking on doors, on organizations and all you donors to make sure that you're booking your appointment, your next appointment and becoming a regular blood donor.

Speaker 3 13:57

Well, I have to say the app has really come along. It's quite easy to get on there and book new appointments, and so this is just a friendly reminder for anybody listening If you are a blood donor, a plasma donor, get that next appointment book. Do it before the summer. Before you go away, make sure you read their kind of through their questionnaire and their criteria, just to make sure that you're eligible. On the day that you get there, will you talk about an organization or a person that inspires you?

Speaker 1 14:23

It's actually my dad and my mom, but my dad especially when he passed away in 2012,. I moved to Canada in 2002. Oh my God, it's making me cry. So it was hard for us because we were so new in this country. Weather is different, it's so cold and, coming from a tropical country, right, it's a lot of adjustment for my husband and I. So he always taught me to do your best in whatever I do. To do your best in whatever I do, be kind to everyone that you meet and make sure you make a mark in the community or the country that you're wanting to live. So that's what I'm doing right now. It's everything in honor of my dad.

Speaker 3 15:08

You are doing exactly that. You were such a welcoming presence every time I've met you and I can imagine that as you reach out to more and more people, that they feel that love. So I think you're doing an incredible job of showing your dad exactly how he inspired you.

Speaker 1 15:24

Thank you for that kind words, chrissy. I really appreciate it. I actually wanted to promote as well the new donor center in Calgary.

Speaker 3 15:34

Yeah, tell us all about it, because I've only I've been to Eau Claire a lot to donate and donate plasma there, so tell me about where I'm going to be going now.

Speaker 1 15:43

Okay, so you're going to be going now to Penn West Plaza. It's at the heart of downtown. It's only seven blocks away from Eau Claire Blood Donor Center it's. The address is 207 9th Avenue Southwest. It is very close, right across Vermont Hotel. It's very close to the Calgary Tower. There are designated parking for our blood donors at the Calgary Tower Parkade. You wouldn't miss it because it's actually street level. Now Eau Claire we're going to miss Eau Claire because we're so spoiled because we do have underground parking and heated parking. But we're very excited because this is a new place for us. It's a new home for Canita Blood Services Calgary. We will be doing the same thing. We'll be collecting the same amount of units for this clinic and that's why we're inviting everybody to see it. It's more modernized. It's the donor center of the future. It's decided to be the donor center of the future. So hopefully you can drop by, book your appointments online at bloodca, or you can download the app or you can call the 1-888-DONATE to book your appointments.

Speaker 3 16:53

And what would you say for somebody who maybe has never donated? Who's thought about it, but they're a little bit nervous. Is there any tips you give people when they're thinking about becoming a blood donor? Well, the first step is to book your appointment.

Speaker 1 17:07

So then when you book your appointment, then you have a reason to go. Book your appointment first and then, when you book your appointment, make sure you're actually eligible to donate and check all the eligibility requirements. You can find that online at bloodca as well. It's all that information. Be ready. So make sure you drink lots of water. I usually recommend a steak dinner the night before to get your iron levels up, especially for women, so that's a good treat before donating Yep and lots of water.

Speaker 1 17:42

You want to ask me if you can drink wine with your steak? That absolutely, just one glass, but just to make sure you drink lots of water. And then you know, prepare your body, prepare yourself to know that you're donating, ask a friend to come and donate with you so you know you can support each other when you're donating. And of course, this is something that I actually say to some of my presentations. So think about a patient, or maybe a leukemia patient, maybe a child, maybe a child undergoing transfusions. To transfuse it takes about three hours. To donate blood it takes only like five to 10 minutes. So imagine those, especially those children, all of those children doing needle pricks because of transfusions and testing, if they can do it they're so strong and resilient children then you can do it as well as an adult.

Speaker 3 18:42

That was a great way to end it Well. Joanna thank you so much for coming on and telling us more about Canadian Blood Services. Well, thank you for having me.

Speaker 1 18:49

I really appreciate it and thank you for the opportunity.

Speaker 3 18:55

Thank you for joining us today. The purpose of the Wolfpack Warriors Foundation is to give, amplify and connect. Visit our website wolfpackwarriorscom to learn more about this initiative or connect with us about a registered charity that is important to you. Don't miss the next episode. Follow Give, Amplify, Connect on your favorite podcast platform to hear from other Alberta-based nonprofits about the work they are doing. On a final note, remember to take care of yourself and your pack.