22-year-old Nigerian student dies after plasma donation in Canada
A 22-year-old Nigerian international student, Rodiyat Alabede has died after plasma donation in Canada, as the federal department of the Canadian government responsible for helping Canadians maintain and improve their health, Health Canada commenced investigation
Penpushing reports that deceased whose parents are from Nigeria and Ivory Coast was training to become a social worker and was active in the Muslim Nigerian community in Winnipeg.
The Executive Director of the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Manitoba, Stephanie Holfeld explained that Alabede became unresponsive during the donation procedure and died shortly afterwards.
Penpushing further reports that Holfeld stated that, though she noted the death had not yet been formally linked to the plasma donation and that certain investigative steps may still be in progress.
The federal agency confirmed it received mandatory reports from the clinics following fatal adverse reactions after procedures in October 2025 and January 2026, just over three months apart, at locations operated by Grifols.
Penpushing also reports that as at the time of filing this report the identity of the second donor was not disclosed, with both the examiner’s office and Health Canada citing privacy laws.
The Spanish healthcare company running 17 clinics across Canada, including two in Winnipeg. Health Canada subsequently dispatched inspectors to both facilities, and in a statement expressed condolences to the families.
Penpushing reports that the company said donors undergo extensive health evaluations before being cleared, that it reported both incidents within the required 72-hour window, and has since launched an internal investigation, stressing that they have no reason to believe that there is a correlation between the donors’ passing and plasma donation.
The Plasma donation is a process in which blood is drawn, the plasma is separated from red blood cells, and the red blood cells are returned to the donor, and it is commonly used by cash-strapped students and low-income earners in Canada and the United States of America (USA) as a means of supplementing their income
Penpushing further reports that Grifols advertises that regular donors can earn around 6,000 Canadian dollars, equivalent to roughly 4,400 US dollars or about 7.2 million naira, per year.
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