Ottawa man gives blood for 150th time
An Ottawa man marked a milestone Thursday, donating blood for the 150th time.
"I am proud of it for sure," says 69-year-old Guy LeBlanc.
Guy LeBlanc first donated when he was 19 years old.
"It was at Carleton University and I thought it was something different," said LeBlanc.
He says it soon became part of his routine.
"It was a habit that I got into. When I graduated from Carleton, I went to Ottawa U and during those four years I worked as an orderly at the children’s hospital and that’s when I saw the real need for blood," said LeBlanc.
"My wife worked in the oncology ward, and I would go up and visit occasionally and I saw all the kids who really needed it and that is what strengthened my resolve to give as much as I could, as many times as I could.”
LeBlanc goes to the Canadian Blood Services clinic on Carling Avenue every 56 days - the minimum requirement between donations for men.
"They recognize me for sure!" he says.
LeBlanc says he doesn’t think about the number of people he has impacted during his decades of donating.
"They say something like for every donation you affect four people and that’s a nice number because that makes 600 people, but I don’t really think about it, it’s more like this is a habit I’ve grown into."
He encourages everyone to give.
"It is easy to do, it is one-hour chunk of your life and the people there are really, really nice."
Canadian Blood Services says it is extremely rare for someone to reach the 150-donation milestone like LeBlanc.
Gina Leyva is a spokesperson for Canadian Blood Services.
"Every time you donate blood you are the direct connection to saving someone’s life," said Leyva.
"Sometimes someone going through cancer treatment could require up to 10 donations each week, so for someone to donate blood 150 times, it is a huge and incredible milestone and definitely Guy has helped many, many people.”
Leyva says only four per cent of the eligible Canadian population donate blood.
Leyva says there is a shortage of donations during the winter, and the Carling Avenue Clinic was impacted by this week’s massive snowstorm.
"The clinic on Carling Avenue was open that day, but we were hoping to have 77 people donate and only 15 people were actually able to donate so that was really difficult heading into this week," said Leyva.
LeBlanc has inspired others to donate, including his son Jordan, who now goes with his dad to donate. He has donated 39 times.
Jordan LeBlanc says he is proud of his father.
"When my dad got to 148, 149 I started doing the math and its incredible – it is a lifelong commitment and it’s amazing my dad has been able to help so many people.”
Guy LeBlanc says he will continue to donate blood for as long as he is able to.
"One hundred and fifty is not my final number… I will continue to donate every 56 days.”
To learn more about how you can donate blood, click here.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
Boeing's financial woes continue, while families of crash victims urge U.S. to prosecute the company
Boeing said Wednesday that it lost US$355 million on falling revenue in the first quarter, another sign of the crisis gripping the aircraft manufacturer as it faces increasing scrutiny over the safety of its planes and accusations of shoddy work from a growing number of whistleblowers.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.