Ben Wickstrom
Donor
Manitoba, North Eastern Ontario, and Nunavut
As the son of two life-long blood donors, Ben began giving blood as soon as he was eligible: at age 17. Initially, he wondered why he would subject himself to a needle prick. However, once he had his first donation behind him, he realized the simplicity of making a difference to patients in need. Ben continued to give blood at every mobile clinic that came to Dauphin; and once he moved to Winnipeg to attend university, continued to donate as a post-secondary student.
About one year ago, Ben realized that he could potentially reach 50 donations by the time he turned 30 – and focused on reaching this milestone. He shared his goal on social media and encouraged others to follow in his footsteps. Ben’s dedication paid off: on March 28, 2014, he made his 50th blood donation. But this is only the beginning: now, Ben’s next goal is to hit the 100-donation mark by age 40. Ben is also on the OneMatch Stem Cell and Marrow Network registry.
