To the Editor,
Re: Blood donors thanked, Letters, July 26.
It was good to see so many donors showed up to respond to the recent appeal for blood by Canadian Blood Services.
I hadn’t donated for over 30 years and I convinced my daughter to come with me for an excellent cause. Our offer to give blood was refused.
I am originally from England and the form we both were asked to complete had a question that when answered truthfully, made our blood unacceptable: “Have you cumulatively spent more than 90 days in England in the last 25 years.
I have never spent more than three weeks at one time, but cumulatively, we both had. I have been back numerous times visiting family and friends during the 40 years I have lived in Canada.
Mad cow disease was found in Britain in 1986 and stringent measures were taken in North America – rightly so – to prevent it ‘crossing the pond.’
However, surely this policy by the Canadian Blood Services needs to be revisited. To refuse our blood because I might have spent one per cent of my time in England in the last 25 years is ridiculous.
Ian AndexserNanaimo