Canadian Blood Services says it needs 1 million new blood donors over next 5 years – CTV
May 08, 2025
TORONTO — Marc Parravano has donated blood 146 times.
He remembers regularly going to the blood collection centre with his mother when he was a kid and followed in her footsteps after he turned 17 and was able to donate himself.
“I get a sense of accomplishment and reward because I’m helping others,” Parravano, now 40, said in an interview.
Just as his mom did for him, he’s teaching his three sons that giving blood saves lives. His 11-year-old, Christian, proudly went with him to the donation centre wearing his number 84 hockey jersey when Parravano made his 84th donation in December 2023.
Parravano, who lives in Vaughan, Ont., started out donating whole blood, which men can do every eight weeks and women can do every 12. But a couple of years ago, he switched to donating plasma, the liquid part of the blood that can be taken weekly because the red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets are returned to the body during the process. The body replaces its plasma within a few hours.
Parravano is one of only two per cent of eligible Canadians who donate blood and plasma, according to Canadian Blood Services. That’s despite a recent survey suggesting 71 per cent of people agree it’s “one of the most meaningful ways people can give back to their community,” the agency said.
