81-Year-Old Canadian Woman Breaks Guinness World Record

81-Year-Old Breaks World Record for Most Units of Blood Donated in A Lifetime

Donating blood gives a glimmer of hope to someone in need. That’s why Josephine Michaluk, an 81-year-old woman from Alberta, Canada, is committed to helping others in this way. In fact, she is the record holder for the most units of blood donated in a lifetime.

Michaluk’s kindness all began in 1965 at the age of 22, when she went to a blood donation appointment with her sister. Since then, she has been dedicated to donating blood for as long as her body allows her to. Last year, at the age of 80, she officially earned the Guinness World Records title for the most whole blood donated by a female. She had donated 203 pints of blood at that point. Thus far, she has reached a total of 209 blood donations, and she isn’t done yet.

The inspiring octogenarian continues to maintain over four donations annually. Her O+ blood type is the most sought-after for hospitals and health facilities, as it is a more universal match than any other positive blood types. The Red Cross Donation states that O+ comprises 38% of the population in the United States. This generous woman's contributions continue to reinforce the supply of blood that can be life-saving.

The kindhearted Canadian mentions the physical evaluation that is completed before any donation. This may include checking blood pressure, hemoglobin levels, and pulse rate of the potential donor. Even after donating a pint of blood, Michaluk mentions that she feels revitalized. Her story is an inspiration to others to donate, if physically fit to do so. As someone who has herself received a total of five pints of blood after two separate miscarriages, Michaluk understands the value of these life-saving donations.

Putting things in perspective, each donation of a pint from start to finish takes about 75 minutes. Throughout her lifetime, Michaluk has spent roughly 15,675 minutes donating blood. She intends to forge ahead with her mission to help others as long as she can. Photographed with a shirt that reads, “Are you the type to save a life?” she challenges others to step outside of their comfort zone to help people around the world.