New York Blood Center (NYBC) has partnered with Sickle Cell/Thalassemia Patient Network (SCTPN) to host a series of blood drives at its new Brooklyn Donor Center.
“New York Blood Center is proud to be a leader in world-class sickle cell research and treatment and it is our hope that this blood drive series will help provide life-saving blood donations to patients and encourage increased diversity in our blood donor base,” said Senior Vice President at New York Blood Center Andrea Cefarelli.
The blood drives will run from Feb.14-18 and will spread awareness about the need for diversity in blood donations.
Brooklyn is one of New York’s fastest-growing and most diverse boroughs. Cefarelli encourages all eligible donors to sign up to donate, so Brooklyn’s blood bank can reflect that diversity.
Many people suffering from blood diseases rely on donated blood for frequent life-saving and life-sustaining transfusions. Some of these blood diseases are more common in certain ethnicities.
Around 10,000 New Yorkers suffer from sickle cell disease, an inherited disease that affects the body’s red blood cells and their ability to carry oxygen. Sickle cell patients need blood donors whose blood closely matches theirs because their bodies make antibodies toward foreign transfused red blood cells. These matching blood products can often only be found in donors with similar heritage or racial identity, heightening the importance of diverse donors.
“We want to educate and engage Black, Brown, Asian and immigrant Brooklynites to become life-long donors,” said President of the Sickle Cell/Thalassemia Patients Network Ginger David.
At this blood drive series, all red blood cell donations will be tested for the sickle cell trait and other rare blood antigens. NYBC is a leader in sickle cell research and recruitment of multiethnic donors to provide antigen-negative blood for patients.
This need for diverse donors comes at a time when there is a shortage of overall blood donors, resulting in a blood shortage for everyone, not just individuals of color.
For the past several years, there have been chronic blood shortages across the nation. According to the NYBC, donations have still not returned to their pre-pandemic levels. Last year, the center faced five blood emergencies due to the lack of donations. The region’s blood supply is currently hovering around a 3-day level, which is below the ideal level of 5-7 days.
The winter season is a particularly difficult time for the blood supply due to school breaks, vacations and harsh weather conditions that make it difficult for donors to make it to the donation centers.
The new Brooklyn Donor center is located at 30 Flatbush Ave., Brooklyn, New York.
The blood drive’s hours are listed here:
— Feb. 14 from 12:30 p.m. – 7 p.m.
— Feb. 15 from 8:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.
— Feb. 16 from 12:30 p.m. – 7 p.m.
— Feb. 17 from 8:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.
— Feb. 18 from 8:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.
