A 22‑year‑old Nigerian international student has died in Canada after donating plasma at a paid collection centre, and federal health authorities are now investigating the case. Rodiyat Alabede died on October 25, 2025, after attending an appointment at the Grifols Plasma Donation Centre on Taylor Avenue in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Health Canada confirmed. The federal department said it had received reports of two fatal adverse reactions involving plasma donors, with the second death reported on January 30, 2026, at another Grifols clinic in Winnipeg.Alabede moved from Nigeria to Canada in 2022 to study at the University of Winnipeg, where she was pursuing training to become a social worker.
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Friends said that she was active in her community and well‑liked by those who knew her. During the donation procedure, she reportedly became unresponsive and died shortly afterwards. Officials have not yet formally determined whether the plasma donation procedure itself caused her death.Health Canada confirmed it received mandatory reports from the clinics after the two deaths and sent inspectors to the facilities operated by Grifols, a Spanish healthcare company that runs several plasma collection centres in Canada. Grifols has publicly expressed condolences to the families of the deceased. The company said it “has no reason to believe that there is a correlation between the donors’ passing and plasma donation,” and noted that donors undergo health evaluations before they are cleared to give plasma.Plasma donation involves drawing blood, separating the plasma, and returning the red blood cells to the donor. The process is often used in medical treatments and research, and paid plasma donation clinics offer compensation to donors. In Canada, individuals who donate plasma at such for‑profit centres can receive payments of up to about 100 Canadian dollars per session, with additional bonuses for frequent visits, which has made plasma donation a source of income for some students and low‑income earners.
