Investigation into Two Plasma Donation Deaths in Winnipeg

Canadian health authorities are investigating the deaths of two individuals, including a 22-year-old Nigerian international student, following plasma donations at private collection centers in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

The incidents occurred at facilities operated by Grifols, a Spanish healthcare company that runs several plasma collection sites across Canada. Health Canada reported receiving notifications of fatal adverse reactions after the donations: one on October 25, 2025, and the second on January 30, 2026. Officials have not confirmed a direct link between the procedures and the deaths, and the investigations remain ongoing.

One victim was Rodiyat Alabede, who had moved from Nigeria to Winnipeg in 2022 to study at the University of Winnipeg. She died after donating plasma at the Grifols center on Taylor Avenue. Mary Ann Chika, a friend of Alabede, identified her body at the hospital after medical staff pronounced her dead. Chika said doctors provided limited details but indicated that Alabede's heart stopped beating during the donation process.

The second death took place after a donation at the Grifols facility on Innovation Drive, though authorities have not released the...