TOMS RIVER – The nationwide blood shortage continues. We urgently need people to make every effort to donate blood!
New Jersey Blood Services, a division of New York Blood Center would like to announce that it is conducting blood drives in your area which are open to the public. The following drive is scheduled next month:
- January 12 – Christ Episcopal Church, 415 Washington Street; from 12:30 to 6:30 p.m.
Blood products have a short shelf life – from five to 42 days, so constant replenishment is necessary. Each day there are patients who depend on the transfusion of red blood cells, platelets and plasma to stay alive. But blood and blood products can’t be manufactured. They can only come from volunteer blood donors who take an hour to attend a blood drive or visit a donor center.
Blood donors receive free mini-medical exams on site including information about their temperature, blood pressure and hematocrit level. Eligible donors include those people at least age 16 (with parental permission or consent), who weigh a minimum of 110 pounds, are in good health and meet all Food & Drug Administration and NY or NJ State Department of Health donor criteria. People over 75 may donate with a doctor’s note.
To donate blood or for information on how to organize a blood drive, call 1-800-933-2566 or visit: nybloodcenter.org.
