Dave Kirk's wife, who is on blood donation 173, wanted to spread the good news about her husband's 450th donation. "She turned me in." (Jordan Davidson/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Jordan Davidson

dedicated donor

‘Give before the need arises:’ Nanaimo man’s milestone blood donation dedicated to late friend

Sep 14, 2022 | 4:12 PM

NANAIMO — Blood, it’s in you to give and a local man has given more than most.

Dave Kirk celebrated his 450th blood donation on Tuesday, Sep. 13 at the Beban Park Social Centre, a journey which began over 50 years ago when he gave his first donation at 17 years old.

He dedicated this milestone donation to a friend who passed away in 2004.

“He was very special to me, and I was already donating regularly at that point, but it just reinforced the need to keep giving. He was a special man, and I miss him.”

Kirk has O+ blood, which is the most common type in the world and so is the most in demand.

Shorthanded

Clippers fall short hosting Bulldogs

4h ago

off the schedule

BC Ferries preemptively cancels early Saturday sailings

11h ago

firm handshake

B.C. NDP government, Greens reach 'shared priorities' agreement

13h ago

He said he’s surprised more people don’t donate as often as he does.

“Everybody who’s healthy and meets the criteria should be donating blood…you can help people, it’s good karma, you get to sit here for half an hour and get pampered. The volunteers, the admin staff, the nurses, they are all terrific. I get home and I get pampered there, so it’s a win all the way around.”

He also used to donate platelets twice a week, which involves needles in both of his arms at the same time, leaving him immobile for the hour-long procedure.

Kirk praised the wonderful nursing staff who assist him in having a drink or even scratching his nose.

“You never know when the needs going to arise, and it’s in your to give as they say, so it’s a matter of don’t wait until there’s an emergency or someone gets seriously hurt in your family, give before the need arises.”

Years ago, Kirk was also on the stem cell donor registry but is not ineligible because of his age.

Canadian Blood Services will be at the Beban Park Social Centre until Sept 15 for their latest blood drive. (Jordan Davidson/NanaimoNewsNOW)

Associate director of donor relations for BC with Canadian Blood Services Gayle Voyer said they are incredibly grateful to Kirk for reaching this massive milestone.

“It is rare to see someone reach such a large number. What it speaks to is the dedication of that individual or the number of individuals that get to these high numbers of donations across the country, it’s kind of been a lifetime of donations.”

Voyer said they need new donors right now more than ever, as the pandemic greatly affected the number of Canadians giving blood.

The donor base of people who roll up their sleeves regularly across the country has decreased by over 30,000 in recent years, making it the smallest in over a decade.

“The need is constant, and we do rely on donors like Dave, but we’re also welcoming new donors to come in and continue to meet the needs of hospital patients.”

For more information on how you can donate, go to blood.ca.

Join the conversation. Submit your letter to NanaimoNewsNOW and be included on The Water Cooler, our letters to the editor feature.

jordan@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @NanaimoNewsNOW