Hema-Quebec is using Black History Month to encourage more black Quebecers to give blood.
Delano George knows just how important a blood donation from his own community can be.
He was diagnosed with sickle cell anemia when he was three years old.
He's treated through regular blood transfusions, but five years ago he needed more help because he developed antibodies to certain donors.
"It took a while. We searched around the world, four major blood banks around the world," said George.
"Hema-Quebec literally played a huge part in saving my life, literally."
While 1,000 donations each day are needed to maintain the province's blood supply, some cultural communities are under-represented.
For certain blood diseases, such as sickle-cell anemia, finding matching donors is easier among people of the same ethnic background.
Naderge Ceneston of Hema-Quebec said that can mean less frequent transfusions.
"Instead of going every two weeks, you are going to go every two months or six weeks to get blood transfusions," said Ceneston.
Over the past five years Hema-Quebec has seen the number of black donors grow, from just a few hundred to more than 4,000.
This year Hema-Quebec is holding a blood drive at the Table ronde du Mois de l’histoire des Noirs (Roundtable for Black History Month) on Feb. 20, at 2515 Delisle St.
The agency is concerned that new screening measures for sickle cell anemia are likely to increase the demand for people needing transfusions.
"We wanted to change the mindset of how important it is to come and give blood," said Ceneston.
Because of his needs, George organizes a blood drive himself and is calling on people to help keep others alive.
"Your blood is in you to help," said George. "It's in you to help."
