Resident celebrates birthday with push for blood & plasma donations

An Okanagan woman has issued a challenge to celebrate her birthday this year.

Angie Clowry, originally from Lumby who now resides in Kelowna, is asking friends and family who can, to donate blood or plasma to help others.

Clowry said she just donated plasma for the first time in honor of Lumby resident Cole Derry who is scheduled for a kidney transplant early in the new year.

Clowry hosted the Lumby Barn Dance earlier this year where a silent auction raised over $12,000 to support Cole and his wife Karen as they get ready for the surgery in Vancouver. At that time, attendees were asked to sign up to be an organ donor.

Clowry says knowing Cole will need blood and plasma for his surgery, it’s an easy ask to friends and many are stepping up.

“And I am hopeful this idea catches on with others who are celebrating any occasion, or their favorite day of the week,” she said.

Clowry said it was “super easy” to donate plasma which can be done at the Orchard Park Shopping Center in Kelowna while people in Vernon and Armstrong can donate blood in their cities.

Clowry has learned that 80 per cent of the plasma used in Canada has to be purchased from the USA.

“It would be good if we all rolled up our sleeves to help our neighbors and strangers,” she remarked.

Clowry is challenging everyone who is able to donate blood in the North Okanagan or plasma or blood in the Central Okanagan, to do so by her birthday October 14 when she turns 47.

She said a number of her friends are hoping to book appointments for the first two weeks of October for Canadian Blood Services in both Vernon and Kelowna.

She notes “you get snacks and juice and it’s an awesome way to spend an hour with a few friends.”

To book an appointment with Canadian Blood Services, click here.