WEST ORANGE, N.J. — As supplies of blood and platelets get dangerously low, RWJBarnabas Health is calling on the public to participate in its annual Winter Blood Drive Appeal. To replenish declining supplies, especially for single-donor platelets and Type O blood—which are essential for trauma patients, difficult deliveries, cancer treatments, and other emergencies—the hospital network is holding several blood drives in January and February.
Typical winter problems like bad weather, seasonal illnesses like the flu and RSV, and the holiday season are making the scarcity worse. Sally Wells, Business Development and Community Liaison for Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital’s Blood Donor Services, stated that collecting blood in the winter is always difficult. We may have a very difficult January if any of these things take place. We honor and express our gratitude to each and every volunteer blood donor for their invaluable contributions and gifts that have saved lives.
RWJBarnabas Health has set up blood drives at several locations throughout the state to assist fill the shortage. The following drives are scheduled on January 16 at Jersey City Medical Center, January 21 at Bradley Beach Recreation Center, and January 30 at Monmouth Medical Center-Southern Campus. Rutgers University, Seton Hall University, and the Knights of Columbus in Dunellen are among the February venues.
A $25 gift card will be given to platelet donors in January as a token of appreciation. Donors must be at least 16 years old with parental approval, weigh at least 110 pounds (120 pounds for 16-year-olds), and be able to provide picture identification in order to be eligible.
Visit the RWJBarnabas Health website for more information about donating or for a complete schedule of times and places. The network highlights how vital blood donors are to saving lives during medical procedures and emergencies.
