Blood donor clinic honouring memory of Becca Schofield

A blood donor event kicked off Tuesday morning in Moncton honouring the late Rebecca Schofield.

The Riverview, N.B., teen was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2015 and passed away in 2018 at the age of 18.

After she was diagnosed with terminal cancer, Becca started her world-famous campaign -- Becca Told Me To -- which encouraged people to do good deeds and commit acts of kindness.

Becca received more than 50 blood transfusions in her short life. Her parents say they are extremely grateful for that gift and are asking people in Moncton to honour her with a blood donation as an act of kindness.

“We firmly believe that blood donations helped extend her life. Helped give her a better quality of life while we had her with us. She would say having a blood donor is like having a secret superhero. It's the truest kind of heroism,” says Becca’s mother, Anne Schofield.

“When people find out we're Becca’s family, Becca’s parents, a smile comes over their faces. They want to share a story. That helps us in our grief. Her biggest fear was to be forgotten, that she had no purpose, no legacy. You see today five years after she's passed, almost five years after she's passed, her legacy lives on.”

“Christmas is coming, so instead of giving a gift, it's giving the gift of blood. Helping Anne and Becca, I couldn't say no. I needed to be here and it's my first time and I’m really, really happy I did it,” says family friend, Gisele Levesque.

Riverview Fire and Rescue’s captain, who attended Tuesday’s event, said he went to pay tribute to his hero.

“I had to come and pay tribute to my hero, Becca. I never met anybody like her and I don't think we will again. She was an amazing young woman. If this is some small way to make sure we remember her, then I’ll do it over and over again,” says Glenn Miller.

The event will run until Dec. 30.

Currently, there are around 170 open appointments -- 30 each day next week -- at the Canadian Blood Services clinic on Mapleton Road in Moncton.