1,000th blood donation sets a new Canadian record! Michel Thérien is honoured
by Héma-Québec

MONTREAL , Oct. 26 /CNW Telbec/ - Blood donation has reached new heights. Michel Thérien, Héma-Québec's most prolific blood donor, rolled up his sleeves for the 1,000th time-something that has never been done before in Canada!

Accompanied by young Jérémy Plourde, blood product recipient, and his family, along with Héma-Québec staff members, Dr. Francine Décary, President and Chief Executive Officer of Héma-Québec, gave a warm thank-you to this great blood donation ambassador, who, week after week, year after year, has given blood at the GLOBULE Blood Donor Centre at Centre Laurier Québec, in Québec City.

"We are here to show our gratitude and highlight Michel Thérien's extraordinary sense of humanity. He is a true hero who has come in to give blood for the 1,000th time! Like all blood donors, Michel is an exceptional person, he supports thousands of Quebeckers who need one or more blood transfusions to survive. Thank you Michel Thérien, for giving the gift of life!" said Dr. Francine Décary.

Michel Thérien, an engineer at the Ministère du Développement durable, de l'Environnement et des Parcs, does not intend to stop there. He appreciates the anonymity of his gesture, and stated that he wanted to continue sharing his health for as long as he can. "My motivation stems from sick children. I find it extremely difficult to have to see children suffering when they should be playing and enjoying life," says Michel. As a donor, I have the power to make a huge impact on the lives of patients. There is no price tag on that and I call on everyone to do the same... one donation at a time."

To mark this 1,000th donation, Dr. Francine Décary presented a Héma-Québec medal to Michel Thérien, in recognition of the profound altruism he has shown since he was 18 and his dedication to his fellow citizens.

Despite medical advances, blood is still an irreplaceable resource which is needed to treat thousands of patients every year. One thousand blood donations are needed every day to meet the need of the province's hospitals. The Quebec blood reserve level depends entirely on the generosity of people ready to share their most precious gift-their health.

About Héma-Québec

Héma-Québec's mission is to efficiently provide sufficient amounts of safe, high-quality blood components, blood substitutes, human tissues and cord blood to meet the needs of all Quebeckers, and to develop and provide expertise and services, along with specialized and innovative services and products in the fields of transfusion medicine and human tissue transplantation.

Héma-Québec counts 1,300 employees, some 2,000 blood drives and more than 300,000 blood donors every year, 16,000 partner volunteers and more than 485,000 blood products annually delivered to hospitals in Québec to fulfill patients' needs.

Give blood. Give life.

For further information: Valérie Legault, Information Officer, Héma-Québec, [phone], [email protected]; www.hema-quebec.qc.ca