Mr. Speaker, when I have a chance to talk to students who are ready to change the world, I ask them if they think saving three lives a week would be a good start. In spite of all the altruistic talk, few take up the challenge, so I will use this forum to give every young person the chance to save three lives this week, and it is free.
Thunder Bay's Plasma Centre is operated by the Canadian Blood Services and has been seeing a refreshing increase in the number of young people becoming plasma donors. I offer this as an opportunity to anyone who wants to change the world or who wants to make a difference.
People may ask how many times I have donated. I am proud to say it has been 351 times, which is the approximate equivalent of 1,000 lives. I hear tons of excuses and some are valid, but tell me why people who are healthy would not want to save three lives this week or next week. It should be a very formidable reason, perhaps their health or some other rather excusable reason.
Canada's system of volunteers, those who commit a mere one and a half hours a week, are the backbone of our society. They are people who care about others. That is a standard by which Canadians should benchmark themselves.
People may not be aware that they can give plasma every six days, platelets every two weeks, and whole blood five times a year, but no matter what they do, it helps, particularly those with rare blood types. It is my belief that if people hope to receive blood products after an accident or operation, then they should acknowledge today that it is a two way street. It is not a bank for withdrawals only. People have to make deposits. How could people just assume that someone else will provide the blood for them? It just cannot be done on a one way effort.
The awareness level must be ramped up. We need to do much more to let people know they have such a responsibility, a duty even. Would anyone want a family member to die from lack of blood? As serious as that scenario may be, it could happen if supplies are not continually replenished.
People should not donate out of simple fear that they should donate. They should do it because they know they can help, that they care, that they will make a difference, that the lives they save will also help make a difference. I am asking for unanimous all party support to hasten this bill through the House.
We, indeed, are fortunate in Canada to have such a fine, safe and dependable system. Those who donate know that the professionals who operate the centres are simply the best staff and professional people anyone could really ask for.
In the House of Commons there is a big debate about whether the ice water that runs through the veins of politicians is valid and would be accepted. The best thing for members to do is to go to Canadian Blood Services or the Quebec operations to be examined to see if they can or cannot donate. When it all shakes down, this is what one person can do to help many others.
These two organizations, Héma-Québec and Canadian Blood Services, are not for profit. I reiterate that it is one of the safest blood systems in the world. We are fortunate even to have such a system. Our neighbours to the south operate in a much different system. In many cases it is cash per pint, which would make me very nervous.
The fact that half of all of us will require blood or blood products for ourselves or a family member in our lifetime, that inevitable statistic should motivate us enough to walk down the street, hop in the car, or take the bus to the blood donor clinic and take some time for other people. When we look at 4% of the population, even if we assume that 50% of people because of past illnesses or problems with their immune system cannot donate, that still leaves out of half of the Canadians, 46% who should be healthy enough to do it.
We talked about bone marrow, platelets, plasma and whole blood. The range of opportunity is there. As a regular plasma donor, the Ottawa centre calls me to give platelets. Because I try to give plasma as often as I can, I have a more difficult time donating platelets. However, even when we travel to other centres, we will always see Canadian Blood Services or Héma-Québec offering a clinic and we could take some time to drop in and donate.
That awareness of becoming a blood donor and helping other people should be our inspiration. We do not do it for the money. We do it because we are kind and generous as Canadians. The thousands of people who donate on a regular basis should be recognized, not necessarily because blood donors want a pat on the back or that type of recognition, but because I believe they want others to be inspired enough to take an hour and a half once a week, or every couple of weeks, or every few months, to come out and help.
The World Health Organization declared June 14 as World Blood Donor Day. Canadians should strongly support this bill, and I believe they will. Let us do everything we can to encourage people, especially young people, to make that commitment early in their lives so that it becomes a habit, part of their daily or weekly routine, for example, that Thursdays are their plasma donor days or whatever. Let us encourage them to make it part of their lifestyle of caring and helping to save lives.
I encourage all members of the House to unanimously endorse a national blood donor week.