Mr. Speaker, I rise today to tell my colleagues about a truly tremendous Canadian.
Bedford, Nova Scotia resident, Jim Lord, marked a momentous milestone recently making his 600th blood plasma donation. This dedicated, community-minded volunteer has been making weekly donations to Canadian Blood Services and, before that, the Red Cross for over 30 years.
Mr. Lord says that the inspiring testimonials he has heard from cancer survivors and other recipients of the blood products he has helped to provide, have kept him coming back again and again. There are more than 300,000 Canadians who depend on plasma or similar products to live each year.
I hope colleagues will join with me in congratulating Jim Lord of Bedford and other regular blood donors across Canada for the important role they play in our health care system.