Give "The Gift Of Life" At CIH Blood Drive

Give the Gift of Life. Source: NY Blood Center

Coney Island Hospital and the New York Blood Center (NYBC) will be joining forces to host a blood drive from noon to 6 p.m., June 20 in the second floor conference room of the hospital’s main building, 2601 Ocean Parkway near Avenue Z.

Every day, as we read about automobile accidents, shootings, fires, and illnesses necessitating transfusion, the demand for blood increases. Someone in the United States needs a life-saving transfusion every three seconds, and by rolling up your sleeves and donating blood, you are, literally, giving the Gift of Life to someone. In fact, according to statistics released by the New York Blood Center, following component (red cell, platelet, plasma) separation, “Each donation of blood can help save 3 lives.”

Three lives, with just one donation! If you are not already convinced, here are some more stats from the New York Blood Center, which will hopefully inspire each and every one of you to go out and donate:

4.5 million Americans benefit from life-saving blood transfusions each year.
40,000 pints are transfused each day in the United States.
New York Blood Center alone requires over 2,000 volunteer blood donations each day to meet the transfusion needs of patients in close to 200 New York and New Jersey hospitals.
1 out of every 3 people will require a life-saving transfusion sometime during their lifetime.
Transfusion recipients include cancer patients, accident, burn and trauma victims, newborn babies, transplant patients, mothers delivering babies, surgery patients, chronically transfused patients suffering from sickle cell disease or thalassemia, etc.
Much of today’s sophisticated medical care (transplants, heart surgeries, etc.) rely on blood transfusions.
Car accident and trauma victims may need as many as 50 or more red cell transfusions.
Severe burn victims may need as many as 20 platelet transfusions.
Bone marrow transplants may require platelets from over 100 donors and red cells from over 20 people.
Blood products are perishable: Donated red cells last only 42 days; Donated platelets last only 5 days; Plasma can be frozen for a year.
The need for blood never takes a holiday.

Holy moly — what are you waiting for, Halloween? It doesn’t even cost you anything except a few minutes of your time. Go, now — give the Gift of Life! It may be the most important decision you’ve ever made.

If you have any questions or concerns, contact Gregory Maizous at (718) 616-4547, gregory.maizous@nychhc.org, or go to http://www.nybloodcenter.org.