Sunday, December 1, 1991 -— North Shore News - 23

From page 22 that has been providing food for starving people.

Turpin, who is also vice-presi- dent and general manage~ of Ca- nadian Transport Co. Ltd., says he got involved with the Red Cross because it was a worthwile investment in his new country.

“T don’t want to sound goodie-goodie, but I just thought it was a good thing to do.””

in England he worked as a sea cadet — before turning 21 he had already travelled the globe twice, including China where he was ar-

rested for what amounted to sightseeing.

His first contact with the Red Cross in 1972 was hardly

glamorous. Turpin was recruited

‘while queuing in line for Thursday-night badminton at a iocal community centre.

Today he heads a $350-million operation with 24 million volun- teers (including blood donors) and 6,000 employees.

Says Turpin: ‘“‘We may be big, but I like us to think small.”

The last six years have been a time of major reorganization for the Canadian Red Cross. The society has had to cope with a huge growth in its blood program and battle a major intruder — the fear surrounding the AIDS virus.

Changes to the system have been costly — Turpin says that every new test introduced across the country can cost anywhere from $5-6 million.

. “There are still some fears about getting AIDS from a blood transfusion, and we can never rest in our work. We really need to educate people about safe sex. But we need to put it in perspective. For instance, you’re far more like-

.. ly to die on the way to the hospi-

‘tal in your car than as a result of a blood transfusion.”

Turpin says the Canadian Red

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Cross is a much better-run organization as a result of that reorganization; but it’s time to get back to the business of helping people.

One of the main ways it helps is by providing blood to the sick. For the past 15 years the society's blood supply has, Turpin says, **been holding its own.”’

That’s because blood is being used more efficiently today and consequently isn’t needed in the same amounts as it once was.

But that doesn’t mean com- plications do not arise. When they do, it’s largely because blood never arrives in the ideal fashion of equal weekly quantities.

One relatively new Red Cross project Turpin is exceptionally proud of is the unrelated bone marrow registry, which began in B.C. as a pilot project.

To date, the Canadian Red Cross has facilitated 106 bone marrow transplants across the country.

While those numbers sound im- pressive, what always amazes Turpin is the enthusiasm and compassion displayed by com- munities who rally around their sick.

**It’s very clear that this subject goes straight to people’s hearts,’’ he says. ‘“‘I can remember when the local community in Kitimat rushed behind a child with leukemia — it really pushed us to start the registry across the coun-

try.

“*That kind of thing happens quite a lot in the Red Cross. Peo- ple start a campaign and we become the vehicle. The Chinese community in Vancouver, for ex- ample, have raised over $1.3 mil- lion in the last couple of months for victims of the floods in China.

“‘That’s what makes it wor- thwhile to do the administrative sort of things that I do.”

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Photo submitted JON TURPIN was Princess Diana’s escort during a visit to the national office of the Canadian Red Cross Society in October.

Jon Turpin - in his own words

resources goes into blood. We have 17 blood centres across the country now. After that, it’s homemaking services in New Brunswick and Ontario.”’

We started our own first aid courses a couple of years ago, and we're also involved with water safety, teaching over one million kids basic water safety training.’’

Why did you come ito Canada? “I realized that I was likely to become a ship’s master at the age of 35, and frankly, 1 wouldn’t have been making the sort of money I needed then — I was married and had children. And, I think I had had my fill of the glamor of it. Canada we have a registration I paid my-way across the North and inquiry program where Atlantic. I still remember the Red Cross delegates visit pris- fare: $65.”" oners of war and arrange Iet- ter-writing between them and their families. In the case of local disasters, the Red Cross wilt often volunteer in the hos- pitals so that families can be in touch with their loved ones.

What other services does the Red Cross provide? ‘‘In

Tell me more about the bone marrow registry. ‘‘For a bone marrow transplant, you must find a perfect match. At best, the chances are one in 50,000; at worst it’s one in 250,000. Siblings are the best matches. The purpose of our registry is to match unrelated people — people whose siblings don’t match.”’

What are the two main services the Red Cross provides in Canada? ‘‘There’s no doubt the largest portion of our

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