Snowstorm Disrupts Area Supply Of Blood Platelets

NEW YORK, Jan. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today's snowstorm forced the cancellation of all scheduled blood and platelet donation activity at New York Blood Center (NYBC). This has created an emergency need for PLATELETS, the component of blood that is responsible for blood clotting. Since platelets only have a 5-day shelf life, even a single day disruption can cause an immediate, severe problem for cancer patients, accident victims, and others who require platelet transfusions.

While the overall blood supply is adequate, the supply of type O negative remains fragile. O negative blood is the only type that can be safely transfused to ALL patients. 

To schedule an appointment to donate, please call 1-800-933-2566 or visit:

PLATELETS: www.nybc.org/platelet 
BLOOD: www.nybc.org/blood

Platelet donations can be made only at NYBC donor centers (http://www.nybc.org/centers), which are conveniently located throughout the greater New York/New Jersey area. Please allow up to 2.5 hours for a platelet donation including time from registration through refreshments. To learn more about platelet donations, visit www.nybc.org/plt.

"With the snowstorm impacting a large portion of the east coast, we will need to rely exclusively on the generosity of the New York/New Jersey donor population to ensure that platelets are available for patients in need," said Harvey Schaffler, Executive Director of Donor Marketing for NYBC. "We cannot expect much help from blood centers outside our region facing the same storm conditions. History has shown that we can meet this challenge."

Blood and platelet donors must be between the ages of 16 (with signed parental consent) and 75 (or older with a doctor's written permission), weigh a minimum of 110 pounds and be in generally good health. All donors will benefit from a free mini exam including a review of their pulse rate, blood pressure, and temperature. Donors will need a photo or signature ID. Donors who are not sure if they are eligible to donate can call 1-800-688-0900.

About New York Blood Center
Founded in 1964, the New York Blood Center Enterprise (NYBC-E) is a nonprofit organization that is one of the largest independent, community-based blood centers in the world. NYBC-E, along with its partner organizations Community Blood Center of Kansas City, Missouri (CBC), Innovative Blood Resources (IBR), Blood Bank of Delmarva (BBD), and Rhode Island Blood Center (RIBC), collect approximately 4,000 units of blood products each day and serve local communities of more than 45 million people in the Tri-State area (NY, NJ, CT), Mid Atlantic area (PA, DE, MD), the Kansas City metropolitan area, Minnesota, Nebraska, Rhode Island, and Southern New England. NYBC and its partners also provide a wide array of transfusion-related medical services, including Comprehensive Cell Solutions, the National Center for Blood Group Genomics, the National Cord Blood Program, and the Lindsley F. Kimball Research Institute, which?among other milestones?developed the Hepatitis B vaccine and a patented solvent detergent plasma process innovating blood-purification technology worldwide.

DONATE BLOOD: CALL 1-800-933-BLOOD (2566) or visit: www.nybc.org

Contact: Harvey Schaffler
Phone: 516-375-2593

SOURCE New York Blood Center