Canada’s oldest blood donor says busy mind, vitamins helped her give back

VANCOUVER — Beatrice Janyk credits vitamins, twelve hours of sleep a day, and a busy mind, for allowing her to donate blood regularly for most of the last seven decades.

At 95 years old, Canadian Blood Services says Janyk is the country’s oldest blood donor.

She made her first donation in the 1940s after her husband was injured in a sawmill accident and nearly died from the hepatitis infection he later contracted from contaminated blood.

Janyk says she takes no medications so she is able to donate blood for children and infants, adding every Canadian that can donate should, regardless of their age.

The great-grandmother started donating blood in Bellingham, Wash., when she was forced to stop giving because of an age restriction in Canada, but that limit was lifted in 2005.

Several family members came with her for the ceremonial donation today, including former Canadian Olympic skier Britt Janyk and her son, Barry Janyk, who says as proud of their mother is of her family, they are far more proud of her.