New York Blood Center is urging eligible donors to give blood ahead of Memorial Day weekend as the region enters the summer “trauma season,” a period when hospitals often see an increase in serious injuries and emergency procedures while blood donations decline.
According to NYBC, blood donations across the region are down nearly 15%, representing about 4,500 fewer donations than needed to meet hospital demand.
The nonprofit blood supplier said the shortage has been worsened by this week’s heat wave, which forced some blood drives and donation appointments to be canceled because donation sites cannot operate in temperatures above 85 degrees without adequate air conditioning.
“This is one of the more challenging starts to summer we’ve seen in recent years,” Jeannie Mascolino, vice president of operations for New York Blood Center, said in a statement. “We are already thousands of donations behind where we would typically like to be heading into Memorial Day weekend, a time when donations often decline further.”
Hospitals typically see more traumatic injuries during the summer months due to increased travel, outdoor recreation and holiday activity. Trauma patients can require dozens — sometimes hundreds — of blood transfusions in a matter of hours, NYBC said.
To encourage donations, NYBC said people who donate at donor centers or blood drives between May 20 and May 27 will receive a packable picnic blanket.
Locally, Box Pickleball on Route 58 in Riverhead is hosting a blood drive on May 27 from 12 to 6 p.m. Schedule a donation here.
Blood donors can give every 56 days, while platelet donors may donate twice per month. More people may now qualify to donate under updated federal guidelines, NYBC said.
Appointments can be made by calling 1-800-933-2566 or visiting nybc.org.
The survival of local journalism depends on your support.
We are a small family-owned operation. You rely on us to stay informed, and we depend on you to make our work possible. Just a few dollars can help us continue to bring this important service to our community.
Support RiverheadLOCAL today.
