Canadian health authorities are investigating the deaths of two plasma donors at private clinics in Winnipeg, including a 22-year-old Nigerian international student.
Health Canada confirmed it received mandatory reports from the clinics after both donors suffered fatal reactions following plasma donation procedures in October 2025 and January 2026.
The facilities are operated by Grifols, a Spanish healthcare company that runs 17 plasma collection clinics across Canada, including two in Winnipeg. Federal inspectors were sent to both locations after the incidents were reported.
Friends identified one of the deceased as Rodiyat Alabede, a Nigerian international student training to become a social worker. She was active in the Nigerian Muslim community in Winnipeg.
According to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Manitoba, Alabede became unresponsive during the plasma donation procedure and died shortly afterwards.
Stephanie Holfeld, executive director of the examiner’s office, said investigators have not yet formally linked the death to the donation itself.
“Certain investigative steps may still be in progress,” she said.
The identity of the second donor has not been released because of privacy laws.
Friends described Alabede as caring and determined. One friend, Chioma Ijoma, said she had a “motherly side” and remained resilient even during difficult times.
Grifols said it reported both incidents to regulators within the required 72 hours and has launched its own internal review.
“We have no reason to believe there is a correlation between the donors’ passing and plasma donation,” the company said in a statement, while offering condolences to the families.
Plasma donation involves drawing blood, separating the plasma from red blood cells, and returning the red cells to the donor’s body. The plasma is used to produce treatments for various medical conditions.
The practice has become a source of extra income for many students and low-income workers in North America.
Grifols says regular donors can earn about 6,000 Canadian dollars a year through plasma donation, an incentive that attracts many young people seeking to supplement their income.
