Photo by New York Blood Center
Do you want to make a difference in someone’s life? On Wednesday, February 14, SUNY Old Westbury held an emergency blood drive in the Campus Center in collaboration with the New York Blood Center (NYBC) in an effort to combat blood shortages.
Blood drives are a vital factor in supporting public health, but the number of blood donors in the United States has reached an all-time low over the past twenty years.
There is a severe shortage of both blood and platelet counts. According to the American Red Cross, low turnout really contributes to already existing periods of blood shortage for patients in need, especially when the seasonal flu and surges in COVID-19 infections become more frequent.
Jose Estrella is the manager of SUNY OW’s blood drive. He has been in the health field since the age of sixteen. Estrella has over twenty years of involvement working with NYBC. “There’s integrity behind the New York Blood Center,” Estrella began, “it’s full of hard workers who double and triple-make sure that there aren’t any complications which can negatively affect the recipient.”
The organization follows the standards set by the Food and Drug Association (FDA) to create some of the highest quality blood and pharmaceutical products in the world. The NYBC has rigorous data bank criteria that determine the eligibility of potential donors based on their overall health, medical conditions, medications they may be taking, travel outside of the U.S., and other reasons that may affect donor status.
Your eligibility can change at any time and the length of time in which blood can be given to changes of potential donors. Updates for the screening process for donors are clearly communicated through the NYBC website. Estrella concluded by stating, “There is no discrimination against anybody who wishes to donate as long as you can provide ID.”
If you would like to schedule a donation but could not attend the blood drive, you can always visit the New York Blood Center website and book an appointment. Eat a good breakfast and drink plenty of water beforehand. And remember: one donation can save up to three lives!
