NEW YORK, Sept. 9 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — New York Blood
Center (NYBC), serving more than 20 million people in New York
City, Long Island, the Hudson Valley and New Jersey, calls upon our
communities to please donate blood, after last week’s stormy
weather and Labor Day holiday weekend have resulted in fewer
donations and a less than 2 day supply of O-negative and B-negative
blood for patients in need.
Donations from O-negative and B-negative types are particularly
needed immediately. NYBC calls upon blood donors to help achieve
its goal of a 5-7 day supply of these types. Of course,
healthy people of all blood types and ethnicities are also
encouraged to donate and help save lives.
As students return to school and the Summer of 2010 comes to a
close, we must remember that the need for blood is constant.
Hospital use of blood products remains high — due to
surgeries, emergencies and care of cancer patients. About one
in seven people entering a hospital needs blood.
People with Rh-negative blood, including A-, B- and O-, comprise
just 15% of the population, yet their blood can be safely
transfused to the remaining 85%. People with O-negative blood
are known as “universal donors” because their blood can be
transfused into anyone. Type O-negative blood is found in
just 6 percent of the population, but is used more often by
patients with other blood types, especially in emergency rooms and
trauma situations.
With the school season underway, NYBC would like to encourage
students, teachers and faculty to please organize blood drives, a
process that teaches community service and leadership skills, and
engages the surrounding community. To date, about 600
elementary and middle schools have sponsored Little Doctors
Program® blood drives. NYBC also offers scholarships for
high school and college students who initiate and coordinate
successful community blood drives.
September also marks t
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