Paying Forward the Gift of Life
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Marketing and Communications Specialist Cheryl Waldner used her Pay it Forward Day to continue her support of Canadian Blood Services (CBS) - a not-for-profit organization that champions and safeguards blood, plasma, stem cells, as well as organs and tissues in Canada. On January 14, she expanded her Blood Services portfolio by volunteering at their headquarters in Winnipeg for the day.
“I chose Canadian Blood Services because it’s an organization I’ve been involved with for more than five years in various ways,” explained Cheryl. “The work they do is so important. You never know who you may be affecting with your donations.”
Having donated blood on the regular over the past five years (a grand total of 17 times!) Cheryl knows the process well. She had a productive day greeting donors, offering them snacks/drinks, and encouraging them to read the donor pamphlet. She also took the time to chat in-depth with some of the visitors, which was where the biggest impact of her Pay it Forward Day came from.
Cheryl met a woman who accompanied her husband to his donation. The woman herself couldn’t donate because of a brain tumor that was removed in 1987. Because this happened so long ago, Cheryl encouraged this woman to check if the guidelines had changed. She did and sure enough it was possible for her to now be a donor. The woman was screened and able to donate that same day!
“I’ll never forget the joy we shared when she left,” said Cheryl. “Her life was changed that day and she was empowered again to save lives. That’s more than a perfect reason to pay it forward.”
Overall the day was steady with donors, which kept Cheryl very busy. Winnipeggers may have heard of the activity at CBS headquarters that day, as there were also two local radio stations live on location with some fun giveaways. Unfortunately, Cheryl did not win the concert tickets that were up for grabs. It’s OK though. She already has Elton John tickets.
