Summer Blood Donations: New Jersey Red Cross · Central Jersey Blood Center · Community Blood Services · Eligibility Guidelines (Vitalant)
Source: Community Blood Services
· Red Blood Cells have a shelf life of about 35 days.
· Each blood donation is tested for HIV, Hepatitis B & C, Syphilis, West Nile Virus and other infectious agents.
· Every 2.5 seconds someone needs blood: a friend, a family member or maybe even you.
· Less than 5% of the population donates blood, yet 80% of the population needs blood.
· An estimated 109,500 Americans will be diagnosed with leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma this year.
· Nearly 4 million Americans would die each year without life-saving blood transfusions.
The need for blood is constant and critical. We have all come to expect that if we or our loved ones need blood in an emergency situation it will be available but that may not be the case. At the same time, the number of donors is decreasing: New Jersey and New York State must import thousands of units of blood from other parts of the country in order to meet their patients’ needs.
Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a common virus found in the environment that is not generally a serious infection EXCEPT for patients with compromised health conditions, including critically ill babies.
The Special Delivery Donor Club is a program at Community Blood Services that encourages regular donations from Type O negative/CMV negative donors. Members can make their lifesaving donations at our Paramus, Lincoln Park, Parsippany or Montvale donor centers in New Jersey and at any of our blood drives in New Jersey and New York. Your blood type, and the fact you haven’t been exposed to this virus can help save these babies’ lives!