Nigerian student, one other die after giving blood plasma at for-profit collection centre in Canada

Two people — including a 22-year-old international student from Nigeria — died after giving blood plasma at a Winnipeg collection centres that pay people for their donations. 

The deaths are under review by Health Canada, which confirmed it received two reports of fatal adverse reactions in plasma donors — one in October of last year and another on Jan. 30, 2026.  

The federal regulator says it is still assessing these reports and has not made a link between the plasma collection and d£aths, and the company that runs the centre says it has “no reason to believe” they are connected. 

Rodiyat Alabede di£d on Oct. 25 after friends say the 22-year-old went to an appointment at the Grifols Plasma Donation Centre on Taylor Avenue to give plasma. 

“She was always happy. She had so many dreams, especially when she came to Canada,” said one of her close friends, Mary Ann Chika. “She held a big place in my heart.”  

Originally from Nigeria, Alabede moved to Winnipeg in 2022 to study at the University of Winnipeg, with the goal of becoming a social worker.  She had a passion for helping people and wanted to work with people with disabilities, Chika said.   

Chika wasn’t there when her friend went to Grifols, but was the one to identify Alabede in hospital after she was pronounced dead.

She said doctors didn’t have much information to share, but told her Alabede’s heart stopped beating while she was giving her plasma at the centre. 

“And before she arrived at the hospital, she had already passed,” Chika said. 

According to Health Canada, the second reported fatal adverse reaction happened on Jan. 30 after a donation at Grifols’ Innovation Drive location. The spokesperson couldn’t provide any more details on the identity of the person, citing privacy laws. 
 

Grifols, a Spanish-based company which specializes in producing plasma medicines, has over a dozen plasma collection centres in Canada. The for-profit company has operated in Winnipeg since 2022 after acquiring Canadian Plasma Resources. It runs two centres locally — one on Taylor Avenue and one on Innovation Drive — where people are paid for their plasma.  

In an emailed statement, a spokesperson representative for Grifols said an internal review was conducted and “based on the information available at this time, we have no reason to believe that there is a correlation between the donors’ passing and plasma donation.” 

Plasma donors receive payments of up to $100 per donation, according to Grifols’ website. They also offer larger payments based on the frequency of donations. This includes a $50 bonus for every 10 donations made within six weeks.  

All establishments that collect plasma are regulated by Health Canada and must report to the federal regulator if a donor has experienced a serious reaction during donation or within 72 hours following a donation.