From Grief to Giving: How My Mom’s Story Inspired 3,000+ Blood and Plasma Donations

Grief changes you. Losing my mom, Frida, to leukemia in 2013 was sudden and devastating — the kind of moment that divides your life into “before” and “after.” She was the sweetest, most giving person, and for a long time, I didn’t know how to honour her in a way that truly reflected who she was.

Working as a nurse here in PEI, I understood how vital blood products are. And eventually, something clicked: blood donation was the exact kind of kindness she would have loved. That’s how Forever Remembering Frida — and the movement that followed — began.

Honouring My Mom Through Blood Donation

My mom was generous in the simplest, most meaningful ways. After she passed, I felt an overwhelming need to honour her by doing something that helped others. Because I’d seen firsthand how important blood transfusions are for cancer patients, I knew donating blood in her memory would carry her spirit forward. One Christmas, I mentioned the idea to my aunt Marlene, who works with Canadian Blood Services in Charlottetown. She connected me with the right people, and soon after, Forever Remembering Frida — our Partners for Life team — was born.In the beginning, my goal was simple: 100 donations in one year. But that goal didn’t last long.

The First Blood Drive in Her Honour

When I worked at the hospital, my coworkers joined the team. Then their friends joined. Then people online joined. The momentum was unbelievable. In May, on what would have been my mom’s 65th birthday, I hosted a blood drive in Charlottetown to celebrate her. More than 25 people showed up — cousins, friends, coworkers, aunts, uncles, and even complete strangers who heard about it through social media. Seeing that room full of people donating in her name was one of the most emotional moments of my life. By the end of our first year, we had surpassed 1,000 donations.

A Movement That Grew Beyond PEI

What started as a small way to honour my mom quickly became something much bigger. People from all across Canada — and even other countries — began donating in her honour. A kind man online donates plasma regularly and always sends me a selfie afterward. My best friend in Toronto donates every 84 days when she’s eligible. Even my mom’s cousins in Belgium began donating in her honour. Every message reminds me how powerful one person’s story can be.

My Perspective as a Nurse

Working as a dialysis nurse, I’ve seen firsthand how life-changing blood transfusions can be. Sometimes a patient’s energy returns right before your eyes — it’s that immediate. That understanding made this project meaningful, but in 2021, it became personal in a whole new way.

When My Dad Needed Nine Blood Transfusions

In late 2021, my dad became critcally ill and required nine blood transfusions. Watching him receive the same care I’d been advocating for all year was surreal. My husband Joel and my dad share the same blood type, and I remember thinking: that bag could have come from Joel. Thankfully, my dad recovered — but the experience deepened my commitment to encouraging others to donate. Any of us could be the person who suddenly needs blood. My family knows that firsthand.

What It Means When People Donate For My Mom

Knowing that thousands of people have donated in my mom’s honour fills me with pride and gratitude. It truly is “the best,” as I always say. I still donate regularly myself, and I celebrate every message or photo I receive from others who roll up their sleeves for her. At this point, donating just feels like something you’re supposed to do — especially when you’re healthy and able. My body regenerates what it gives, but for someone who needs that transfusion, it’s life-saving.

Join the Forever Remembering Frida Team

Forever Remembering Frida continues to grow — a community born from grief but built on kindness, remembrance, and the power of one woman’s legacy to save lives. If you’d like to join the team, log into the Canadian Blood Services donor portal and search: “Forever Remembering Frida.”

Every donation helps. Every act of kindness matters. And every story shared in her honour means more than I can explain.

She would love this all so much I just know it!