HALIFAX -- Paul Vienneau is back home and on the mend after a scary few weeks.
For the majority of his life, Vienneau has been dealing with internal bleeding after he was hit by a transport truck while cycling nearly three decades ago.
"For 29 years, I've been losing a little bit of blood every day, said Vienneau.
Recently, Vienneau had a significant bleed and ended up in the hospital. At first, doctors couldn’t figure out what to do.
"They said there's nothing we can do, it's inoperable, we'll have to send you home and whenever you bleed again, which will probably be in a couple days, come back in for transfusions whenever you bleed," said Vienneau.
Doctors were ultimately able to top the bleeding, but Vienneau required more than 20 units of blood to keep him alive.
"For whoever donated the blood, you've given me back more time in my life, time with my family and friends," he said. "I am incredibly grateful and thankful."
Vienneau, a accessability advocate and photographer, is now looking to help others with a blood drive.
"For all of October, if you donate in my name, we'll be able to keep track of how much blood, the idea is to zero out the blood I got in this last three weeks, 20 bags. But also, all the blood therapy I've had over the last 15 years," he said.
"We're very thankful for Paul to bring his story forward and just encourage donors," said Kathy Gracie with Canadian Blood Services. "That this so important and because of giving your blood and blood donations, people's live are saved."
The organization says the need for blood is constant, and donors are always needed. Gracie says only four per cent of eligible Canadians donate blood.
"Blood donation is very important, especially if you're O negative. We need O negative donors, always need them but we need them at this time," said Gracie.
Because of COVID-19, anyone looking to donate blood is asked to contact Canadian Blood Services to schedule an appointment.
