Cori-Jo Heggie

Lethbridge, Alberta

“I’m proud to be a blood donor,” says Cori-Jo Heggie. “Donating blood makes me feel good about myself.”

A high school teacher born and raised in Lethbridge, Alta., Cori-Jo first donated blood as a teenager. She’s completed 95 more donations since then and regularly encourages others, particularly first-timers, to join her.

“I’ve taken my students to watch me donate as a way to inspire them,” she says.

To further promote blood donation, Cori-Jo gave an interview to a local television station during a donor event at Lethbridge College.

“Donating blood is absolutely the right thing to do, and you never know when you yourself might need donated blood,” she says.

The truth of that statement became clear to Cori-Jo’s mother, also a lifelong donor, last year. She received two blood transfusions to speed her recovery after surgery.

Blood donation runs in the family — Cori-Jo’s husband and three adult daughters also donate. And the family recently welcomed the first member of the next generation: Porter, Cori-Jo’s grandson, was born in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The arrival of our grandson has been a big positive during the pandemic,” Cori-Jo says. “It’s also a reminder of the importance of supporting one another during tough times. Donating blood is a great way to do that.”