With traditional Remembrance Day ceremonies altered or cancelled amid COVID-19, some Maritimers found another way to honour Canadian veterans by rolling up their sleeves.
“I just want to honour people who have given themselves, their lives, their time their blood for us and I want to donate a bit of my blood for that,” said Jocelynn Keilty of Moncton, who donated blood at Moncton’s Canadian Blood Services clinic.
The relationship between Canada’s military and the blood system began in the early days of blood transfusions during the First World War, according to Canadian Blood Services. Erin Gair, territory manager for the Moncton clinic, said the relationship grew during the Second World War as Canadians donated blood to help wounded soldiers.
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“Every November, we like to really commemorate them and honour that relationship and do our part to collect blood in their honour and also ensure that there are sufficient blood products out there for people when they need them,” said Gair.
A moment of silence was held at the Moncton clinic as a gesture of thanks and in honour all of who have or still are serving their country.
It was an emotional day for Tricia Smith of Riverview, N.B., who lost a close family member serving in Afghanistan 14 years ago. She said she wanted to give blood since she and her family were unable to gather at the cenotaph amid the pandemic.
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“We could not do what we normally do to pay our respects so this was the next best thing,” said Smith.
The Canadian Armed Forces have partnered with Canadian Blood Services since 2006 with its members donating more than 45,000 units of blood and inspiring thousands to become regular donors according to the organization.
Gair said the need for blood donations at hospitals is rising amid the pandemic.
“We did have less of a demand at the beginning of COVID and as they started rescheduling surgeries, we have seen the demand ramp up again so we need people to come out now more than ever,” she said.
Questions about COVID-19? Here are some things you need to know:
Symptoms can include fever, cough and difficulty breathing — very similar to a cold or flu. Some people can develop a more severe illness. People most at risk of this include older adults and people with severe chronic medical conditions like heart, lung or kidney disease. If you develop symptoms, contact public health authorities.
To prevent the virus from spreading, experts recommend frequent handwashing and coughing into your sleeve. They also recommend minimizing contact with others, staying home as much as possible and maintaining a distance of two metres from other people if you go out. In situations where you can’t keep a safe distance from others, public health officials recommend the use of a non-medical face mask or covering to prevent spreading the respiratory droplets that can carry the virus. In some provinces and municipalities across the country, masks or face coverings are now mandatory in indoor public spaces.
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