Five years ago, Deanne Collinson, her son, daughter and husband were driving to Revelstoke for a hockey tournament. At that time, her son was 11 and playing peewee hockey. As they left Sicamous and came upon a series of perilous corners, thunder crackled. The roads became slick and slippery. 

"As we were navigating the last few perilous turns before a two land straight stretch, we saw a black truck round the corner coming towards us," said Deanne. "The truck hydroplaned on the wet pavement and b-lined right for our van. From that moment until impact, it seemed like we were in a time warp." 

Photo Credit: Contributed

At impact, Deanne, her family, and the van were thrown into a ditch. After impact, Deanne came to and looked around the smoky, shattered interior. She looked around to see and hear her children. Her husband, crushed into the side of the van, was moaning. Her son was in the backseat, screaming. Her daughter was silent and unresponsive. Her face was white and blood dribbled out of her mouth.

Panicked, Deanne called 911. A man, the first responder, approached the scene. After briefly describing the incident, Deanne passed out.

Photo Credit: Contributed

Deanne’s husband was released from Shuswap Lake General Hospital without any serious injuries. Her son and daughter were airlifted to Vancouver Children’s Hospital where they were treated for a series of potentially fatal, internal injuries.

Due to the care offered by Shuswap and Vancouver hospitals, Deanne's family are well and healthy. Five years later, her son is playing hockey and her daughter is travelling Europe. Unfortunately, incidents like what happened to Deanne and her family are common. As of 2014, the total number of injuries resulting from car crashes was just under 150,000. According to Canadian Blood Services, each of these victims can require up to 50 units of blood as a result of these injuries. In other words, giving blood can save the life of individuals like Deanne's son and daughter. 

“Following my ordeal, I completely understand the necessity for a healthy supply of blood to help those in need,” said Deanne. “Now, giving blood is definitely on my radar, along with supporting those organizations that can, and do, regularly, give the gift of life to many.”

As a high school teacher, Deanne often takes her Grade 12 students to give blood. According to Deanne, her students like the experience and enjoy giving back to the opportunity.

“Giving blood is a great experience,” said student Kaitlin Chimney. “When we were there, we met someone who was giving blood for their 101st time, which was really inspiring.”

Photo Credit: Canadian Blood Services

Canadian Blood Services requires an additional 100,000 new donors every year to meet the demand for blood. If you’re interested in helping families like Deanne’s, you can visit Canadian Blood Services to set up an appointment. If you’d like to know whether you’re eligible to give blood, check out this quiz.

Canadian Blood Services operates within the larger health-care system of transfusion and transplantation medicine. They are funded by the provincial and territorial ministers of health. The Kelowna clinic is located at 1865 Dilworth Dr. 

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