Windsor woman hits 161 blood donations after decades of giving

Christine Moody of Windsor has been donating blood nearly every three months for over four decades.

Her next appointment set for April will mark her 162nd donation.

“I’ve been doing it since I was 17, so it’s a part of a routine now,” says Moody, now in her 60's.

She first started rolling up her sleeves as a teenager when a group of friends encouraged her to join them in donating blood.

“It doesn’t hurt, it doesn’t cost you anything,” she says. “If you are lucky enough to give blood, if you’re lucky enough to be healthy, why not?”

Since then, Moody has been going to the Canadian Blood Services clinic almost every 84 days — the minimum requirement between donations for women.

Christine Moody has donated blood 161 times. (Courtesy Christine Moody)

Canadian Blood Services is thanking Moody for her generosity and hoping others will follow in her footsteps.

“We need more donors like Christine to help replenish our blood supply and return our national inventory to optimal level,” says Canadian Blood Services spokesperson, Marisa Gatfield.

According to the organization, one in two people in Canada are eligible to donate blood, plasma, and platelets, but only one in 81 does.

“The problem is that we’re relying on a very small group to meet the needs of the country,” says Dr. Graham Sher, Canadian Blood Services CEO.

With the number of donors in Canada steadily declining since the onset of the pandemic, the organization is stressing the importance of returning and new donors.

People are asked to visit blood.ca or download the GiveBlood app to book a blood donation appointment.