Charity, Donate, Health, Hurricane Sandy, Life, Manhattan, New York living, NYC, People, UES, Uncategorized, Yelp

Give Blood. Be a Donor and Help Save Lives.

44 Comments

555331_10151787302745186_1757788710_n

Happy Monday all. As I was on the subway heading to work today I was reading the newspaper and saw an article about the blood situation. There is a blood shortage throughout the country, and in the New York area it is described as critical. Many people think that blood supplies are needed for people in serious accidents, but it’s also needed for those undergoing routine surgeries and procedures on a daily basis. This is a subject close to me as I gave blood right after Hurricane Sandy when the hospitals were in desperate need of it. It was great to see the community come together and give so unselfishly, and for a time the blood supply was at a high. It seems that people think of doing this only after a major event or catastrophe, but in reality blood volunteers are needed every day. This made me think of a review back then I wrote up regarding my experience giving blood at the New York Blood Center, and I thought it would be appropriate to revisit it again as I will be setting up an appointment to donate blood soon. Please consider taking some time out of your day to donate blood if you can. It’s a very worthwhile endeavor and can help to save lives. Here is a link to America’s Blood Centers to find one near you – http://www.americasblood.org/

From November 8, 2012 –

After this past weeks Hurricane Sandy disaster I felt like I needed to do something to help out in any way possible. One of the best  things to do is give blood. It does not take that much effort, and there is such a huge need for it. After a week without power in half of Manhattan, and throughout the NYC area, the hospitals and medical centers blood supplies dropped dangerously low. I decided to jump into action and give. It’s the right thing to do. The American thing to do. Be a good American and give blood! If you’re not American still give  – we’ll accept your non-American blood!

IMAG85561-614x1024It was amazing to see the outpouring of people at this location willing to give. The lines were tremendously long, and on this Sunday they closed the doors early at 3pm because there were just too many people here and not enough technicians to handle it all. We were told it might take up to two hours but very few left. Well, by the time all was said and done it took over four hours! Still, not many left. We all were determined to stick it out and donate for such a good cause. This group of strangers became a community of sorts sharing hurricane stories and experiences.

The facility itself is clean, and the staff there were very professional. I have to give them big props, as most were working double time that weekend and you could tell how exhausted they were. There are a lot of snacks, juices, water, and coffee in the recovery room that we were allowed to partake in while waiting. A tv in there had the day’s football games on. Once you are called in you go through a quick medical screening. Damn, I have good blood pressure – 120/74. Blood type O+. Temp 98.6 so I was dead on target. Then you go into the room to give blood and lay on a dentist-like chair. I love that each one has a tv to watch with many channels to choose. Got to watch the football game during the whole process. My nurse was very friendly and had a gentle touch. She answered any questions I had.

IMAG85591-612x1024Also, be sure to eat something before going there. I saw at least four people pass out while giving blood, and all had not eaten much that day. When you are done you sit in the recovery room for a bit where you feast on all types of cookies, snacks, juice, and coffee. That’s the best part!

They take walk-ins and appointments. Free wifi here too. There is no reason not to do this. If you are scared of needles suck it up as it’s just a little pinch. If you can’t stand the sight of blood, just don’t look. Overall, the process to fill the blood bag took 10-12 minutes. That’s all it takes to help save lives. Please donate.

 

1236448_10151884755680186_582809255_n

 

New York Blood Center – http://nybloodcenter.org/

America’s Blood Centers – http://www.americasblood.org/

http://www.yelp.com/biz/new-york-blood-center-new-york-2#hrid:RWXvxMorc4fVpSNNN8-nEg/src:self

44 thoughts on “Give Blood. Be a Donor and Help Save Lives.”

  10. I have given blood a few times before and it’s so important to give this gift. For everyone who has told me they’re scared to give blood, it’s not that big of a deal. And you get free juice and cookies afterward! Thank you for spreading this message, Phil.
    Jessica recently posted…Our Happy PlaceMy Profile

    Reply

  13. Donating blood is a wonderful gift and really, it is no big deal to go through it! There are tough things in life and this is just not one of them. On top of that, donating blood is is the right thing to do.
    Just make sure you fit the criteria to do so…the donor center will let you know what the exclusions are on top of the mini medical exam the Phil outlined.
    Just as urgently needed are platelets which is a slightly more involved procedure that takes a couple of hours…but you can read, listen to music, be on your iPad, watch a movie, etc while doing so. So consider donating platelets too!
    You can donate platelets over 20 times a year versus the approximately 6 times you can donate whole blood per year. Either way, blood or platelets, you will feel good about yourself afterwards!

    Reply

  16. Hi there! I stumbled across your blog on BBN and decided to pop in. Admittedly, I’ve only skimmed so far, but I’m here to stay. Adding you on Bloglovin when I decide to stop being lazy and get out of bed. 🙂
    I really dig this post. I don’t know how often blood donation is brought to people’s attention out in NYC, so it’s great that you’ve taken the time to write something like this, as I’m sure it’s just one of those things people forget to do. I know I’m as guilty as they come about forgetting this kind of thing, but I’m in the military, and fortunately it’s not uncommon to hold blood drives several times a year, depending on the base you’re at. Despite my fear of needles and blood, I’ve given every chance I got. It’s such a satisfying feeling that such a small sacrifice and a little bit of time out of your day could possibly save someone’s life. 🙂

    Reply

    1. Hey April!

      Thanks so much for dropping by my blog and commenting! I am so glad that you found me and will follow. Hope you like my posts!

      Many people are scared of the needle thing but it’s just a temporary pinch and it doesn’t take that much time. I have two family members in the medical field. One in the Air Force and one a registered nurse. What branch are you in and where?

      I’ll follow back on Bloglovin too. Have a great week! 🙂
      filbio310 recently posted…Village Whiskey – Iron Chef Jose Garces Does It Right!My Profile

      Reply

  18. I really wish I could give blood, it’s such an amazing thing to do, but I’m anemic so can’t.
    I am an organ donor though..! haha
    Good on you and for this post – love it.
    Best wishes.

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

CommentLuv badge