Manitoba plasma donor died from ‘sudden cardiac arrest;’ advocates call for new investigation

Manitoba’s chief medical examiner is echoing what Health Canada found in its probe into the death of plasma donors in the province.

National and provincial advocates are calling for a new investigation into two deaths following plasma donations in Winnipeg.

BloodWatch, a non-profit organization, and The Manitoba Health Coalition (TMHC), an advocacy group, held a virtual news conference Wednesday to call on Health Canada to probe the death of 22-year-old Rodiyat Alabede, who died after donating plasma at the Grifols Taylor location in October 2025.

Another death was also reported to Health Canada following a plasma donation at another Winnipeg Grifols location in January 2026.

Kat Lanteigne, BloodWatch executive director, said an autopsy showed Alabede’s cause of death was a sudden cardiac arrest due to dilated cardiomegaly, known as an enlarged heart. She said she is representing the international student’s family in the matter.

“The pressure and stress of plasma donation would put on a donor’s heart with this condition would be profound,” said Lanteigne, adding the young woman did not know she had the condition.

A copy of the autopsy report was not provided

In April 2026, Health Canada said the deaths of two donors in Winnipeg are not connected to the donation itself but did find non-compliance issues when department officials visited the two Winnipeg sites.

That same month, Manitoba’s chief medical examiner said it found no link between the plasma donation process and the deaths of the two donors, based on all the information made available.

BloodWatch and TMHC are also calling for Grifols’ license to be suspended pending a new probe and are asking the provincial government to ban for-profit plasma donation.

In March, Grifols told CTV News plasma donation is a low-risk procedure.

“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,” a statement said.

CTV News has reached out to Grifols and Health Canada for comment.

A provincial spokesperson says Manitoba Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara may be available for an interview later in the afternoon.