Hospital Newsletter
A rare two for one: One patient receives the gift of life from two separate cord donors
Canadian Blood Services Cord Blood Bank has celebrated a rare milestone: for the first time in our cord bank history, two separate cord blood units were shipped internationally to one patient.
The patient in Europe received cord blood collected from the Brampton Civic Hospital, and one collected from The Ottawa Hospital. What makes this story even more interesting is that the unit from the Ottawa donor was collected over 10 years ago.
Because the patient received two cord blood units, it’s believed that they may be an adult, since adults typically need more stem cells, and the amount of stem cells collected from cord blood is relatively small.
Unlike stem cells from adult donors, where DNA markers called Human Leukocyte Antigens (HLA) have to match the patient’s HLA, stem cells collected from cord blood do not have to be an exact match to the patient. Another benefit of cord blood is that it can be stored for decades, and we don’t have to rely on the donor being present.
“This accomplishment speaks volumes of the industry research and medical advances over the years, as well as to the quality of our cord blood bank”, says Nick Dibdin, associate director, Stem Cell Operations. “To know that we were able to collect a unit 10 years ago, keep it stored in our bank and have it safely shipped to a patient across the ocean is an amazing feat in itself. And that another match was found from a recent Brampton donor and the two units were combined is really exciting.”
National Advisory Committee on Blood and Blood Products update
The National Advisory Committee on Blood and Blood Products (NAC) is an interprovincial medical and technical advisory body which provides professional leadership in assisting, identifying, designing, and implementing cost-effective blood and blood product utilization management initiatives for the optimization of patient care throughout Canada. For more information, visit our website at nacblood.ca.
NAC and National Emergency Blood Management Committee (NEBMC) members welcome medical trainees under a Royal College accredited program to submit a request for permission to observe its committee function at a scheduled meeting to achieve specific educational objectives. See the Trainee Observer Guidance, Expectations & Request Form and Confidentiality Agreement: Meeting Observers and Ad Hoc Attendees for further information and instruction.
NEW
Intrauterine transfusions in Canada are infrequent, are performed at highly specialized sites, are typically scheduled in advance, require specific blood components, and require coordination with the transfusion service and/or blood supplier. For more information and our recommendations regarding intrauterine transfusions, including characteristics for donor red blood cells and platelets, read our newest publication, Blood Component Support for Intrauterine Transfusion: A NAC and CSNMT Collaborative Initiative (May 14, 2026).
UPDATED
- NAC Endorsement with Caveats: The European Guideline on Management of Major Bleeding and Coagulopathy Following Trauma: Sixth Edition (November 6, 2025)
- Infection Prevention and Control Considerations for Return of Blood Components and Products to Inventory (November 6, 2025)
- Utilization and Inventory Management of Group O RhD Negative Red Blood Cells (November 6, 2025)
- NAC Statement on the Provision of Rare Red Blood Cells (November 27, 2025)
- NAC Endorsement with Caveats: ICTMG Guidance on RBC Specifications for Patients with Hemoglobinopathies (February 9, 2026)
- NAC Recommendations for the Use of Solvent-Detergent Plasma in Canada (May 20, 2026)
- Recommendations for the Notification of Recipients of a Blood Component Recall (May 21, 2026)
Expanding Access: Our Network and Collections Transformation
Canadian Blood Services is on a multi-year journey to expand and strengthen how blood and plasma are collected across the country, making it easier than ever for more people in Canada to donate.
At the heart of this transformation is a simple goal: connect more donors with more convenient opportunities to donate. By growing and evolving our network, we’re building a more flexible, sustainable donor base to meet the needs of patients today and into the future.
Making donation more accessible
We have determined there is potential to increase the size of our donor base by making available more convenient donation opportunities. We are investing in both new donor centres and enhancements to our existing network.
Over the next year, new or relocated donor centres are anticipated in several communities. More details will be available as these locations prepare to open.
Mobile donation events will continue to play an important role as well, complementing our growing network and helping us reach donors in communities across Canada.
Offering more ways to give
In the past, around 80 per cent of our donor centres collected only blood or plasma – not both. Today, we’re working toward a more integrated, flexible approach—where most centres will offer both.
This evolution allows us to match donors with the type of donation that has the greatest impact at any given time. It also helps ensure we are collecting the right products to meet patient needs.
In 2026, plasma collection is expected to be introduced to many of our donor centres across the country.
Enhancing the donor experience
As our network evolves, we’re also focused on improving the donor experience at every step.
This includes:
- Helping donors better understand all the ways they can contribute—and guiding them toward the donation type best suited to them
- Adjusting operating hours to better align with donor schedules and preferences
- Delivering a consistent, welcoming experience across all donor centres
Building for the future
This transformation reflects our commitment to innovation and continuous improvement. By expanding our network, introducing more flexible donation options, and making it easier for Canadians to give, we’re strengthening the system that patients rely on every day.
Together with our donors and partners, we’re building a more resilient and responsive blood and plasma system—one that’s ready to meet Canada’s healthcare needs for years to come.
Our new resources for health-care professionals
To support best practices in transfusion medicine, Canadian Blood Services develops educational resources in collaboration with subject-matter experts from across Canada.
Visit our professional education website, a trusted resource hub for health-care professionals across the country, and check out these new resources:
- Chapter 18. Platelet transfusion, alloimmunization and management of platelet refractoriness. This chapter describes the process of collecting, manufacturing and storing platelets for transfusion, summarizes clinical practice recommendations for platelet transfusions, and provides information on adverse reactions and platelet refractoriness. Now available in French.
- Chapter 21. An overview of donor wellness and perspectives. This new chapter provides an overview of donor care and well-being, including current knowledge of donor motivations, donation-related health impacts, adverse reactions and management. This chapter also contains practice questions to help learners using both knowledge-based and case-based questions.
- 2024 Surveillance Report. We are pleased to present this annual report describing transmissible blood-borne infection surveillance. This includes monitoring donations for transmissible disease markers, investigating reports of possible transfusion transmission, and a horizon scan for new pathogens that may pose a risk. Now available in French.
- FAQ: Parvovirus B19 Virus at Canadian Blood Services. Plasma fractionators report plasma nucleic acid test (NAT) results for parvovirus B19 to Canadian Blood Services within a timeframe that may incur the recall of in-date products. This new publication answers common questions regarding management steps in these scenarios. Now available in French.
- FAQ: Hepatitis A Virus (HAV) at Canadian Blood Services. Plasma fractionators report plasma nucleic acid test (NAT) results for HAV to Canadian Blood Services within a time frame that may incur the recall of in-date products. This new publication answers common questions regarding management steps in these scenarios. Now available in French.
- Serological best practices. These best practices support serological and immunohematology investigations and the selection of donor units for transfusion through the summary of the clinical significance of blood group alloantibodies. This resource has been developed to equip hospitals and health-care providers with information to support decision-making around patient care and the utilization of blood components. Now available in French.
- Uniform labelling. This resource answers frequently asked questions regarding ISBT 128 Standards and The Canadian Guidelines for the Uniform Labelling of Blood and Blood Components Using ISBT 128.
- Breakthroughs in blood: Advancements into action. Breakthroughs in blood is a webinar series for sharing groundbreaking findings in blood research and promoting best practices in transfusion. On our professional education website, you’ll find webinar recordings and resources to support practice change. The resources are for health-care professionals, hospital administrators, policy makers and researchers.
- Coming soon: Join our session titled “Postoperative 20% Albumin Infusion and Acute Kidney Injury in High-Risk Cardiac Surgery Patients” on June 16, 2026. Visit the Breakthroughs in blood page to learn more!
You can also find the latest updates from the National Advisory Committee on Blood and Blood Products (NAC) on our transfusion medicine home page.
If you don’t already receive our Research & Education Round Up, you can subscribe to the monthly newsletter here for updates on the latest news, publications, and events from Canadian Blood Services’ research and education network.