B.C. Mother Inspires Blood Donations After Kidney Donation

A mother from White Rock, B.C., is urging eligible Canadians to donate blood, using her own experience as a catalyst for change. On December 4, 2025, Soon Nick made her 19th blood donation, marking the occasion as particularly special since it followed her decision to donate a kidney to a stranger she learned about through social media.

Nick’s journey began in April 2025 when she saw a post in the ‘South Rock Moms’ Facebook group. The post featured a young mother, Alexis, in urgent need of a kidney. The appeal specifically targeted individuals with O+ blood type, which Nick discovered she possessed. “I didn’t hesitate, I was like, yeah, I’m 100 per cent,” Nick stated. She quickly contacted the Kidney Foundation and began the extensive process of becoming a donor.

The path to donation involved numerous steps, including medical evaluations and consultations. Nick expressed her motivation to help Alexis, a mother of two young children aged 4 and 5, who had only 12 percent kidney function at the time. On October 6, 2025, Nick successfully donated her kidney, and she has since received positive updates about Alexis’s recovery. Nick shared, “Her husband told me, ‘I can’t keep up with her, she’s running a marathon, and she’s doing great.’”

While organ donation might not be for everyone, Nick emphasized that the process can be manageable. “They say six to eight weeks is the recovery stage, but it’s honestly the first two to three weeks that are probably the hardest. But after that, you’re fine,” she said. Her lighthearted advice to potential donors included the perk of temporarily escaping household responsibilities.

In addition to promoting organ donation, Nick encourages blood donation, highlighting its life-saving potential. “It takes like 10 minutes of your life, and you can be saving so many people’s lives,” she said. Craig Nielsen, community development manager for Canadian Blood Services in Vancouver, noted that the actual blood donation takes only about 10 minutes, though appointments typically last 45 minutes to an hour. Following the donation, participants can enjoy refreshments.

Nick organized a group blood drive on December 4 with eight friends and colleagues from Asahi Canada, participating in the Canadian Blood Services ‘Fall Get Together’ challenge. “The essence of the challenge is getting a group of family, friends, colleagues, parents, brothers, sisters together to come and donate,” Nielsen explained, adding that larger groups often encourage more people to donate.

Despite the ongoing need for blood donations—only four percent of Canadians eligible to donate actually do—Nielsen highlighted that many donor centres remain open through the holiday season. At the Surrey donor centre, located at 15285 101 Avenue, specific holiday hours include December 24 from 08:00 to 15:00, December 26 from 11:00 to 18:00, December 31 from 08:00 to 15:00, and January 1 from 11:00 to 18:00. Regular hours are Monday to Tuesday from 09:00 to 15:00, Wednesday to Thursday from 11:00 to 18:00, and Friday to Saturday from 08:00 to 15:00, with the centre closed on Sundays.

As of December 5, there are 602 available appointments from December 20 to January 3 at the Surrey clinic. Those interested in scheduling an appointment or learning more about the donation process can visit blood.ca for additional information.