January is National Blood Donor Month

County Executive Ed Day has declared January as National Blood Donor Month. To commemorate the occasion, County Executive Day presented the New York Blood Center with a proclamation in honor of their dedication to a steady supply of blood donations for those in need. “Blood donation is the greatest gift anyone can give as it saves precious lives,” said County Executive Day.“We’re proud to honor New York Blood Center for their unwavering commitment to this cause.” 

Also recognized at the event was the Parish of St. Paul-St. Ann in Congers, which has donated nearly 200 units of blood in 2024, and Fred Cifuni, a retired county employee who has made 141 blood donations. “I remember when someone from our community was in need of blood, so I decided to donate to help,” said Cifuni. “That was about 40 years ago, I’ve been donating regularly since then. It’s a way I can help.”

Every 2 seconds, someone in the U.S. will need a blood transfusion. Some surprising patients who benefit from blood donation include premature infants, cancer patients and burn victims. 

Donating whole blood is a simple process. Donors arrive at the location and present their Driver’s License or Blood Donor card. After a brief waiting period, the donor is called back to fill out a basic health questionnaire, have their temperature, pulse and blood pressure checked, and have their finger pricked so the medical professional can check the donor’s hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is the protein inside red blood cells that transports oxygen throughout the body. Low or high hemoglobin can indicate conditions such as anemia that would make a donor ineligible for donation. 

Afterwards, the donor will be brought to a stretcher where they will have the option to sit up or lie back during the donation. The donor’s arm is cleansed and a sterile needle is placed in the arm. The needle is attached to a small tube that leads to a blood bag. The needle placement feels like a pinch and is over quickly. After eight to ten minutes, the whole blood donation is complete. The medical professional removes the needle, wraps the donor’s arm and shows them to the refreshment and recovery area for free snacks and juice. After fifteen minutes of snacks and relaxation, the donor is free to go about their day with a sense of joy over being able to save approximately three lives with their ten minute donation.

Once the donor’s blood is accepted and run through fifteen different tests, the donor will receive an email telling them their blood type. Once the blood is processed, donors receive an update as to where their blood was sent to.   

In order to be eligible to donate blood, donors must be between the ages of 17 (16 with parental consent) to 75 and weigh at least 110 pounds. If you are over 75, you can donate with written consent from your doctor. For questions regarding eligibility, donors can go to nybc.org/donate-blood/donor-eligibility/ or call 800.688.0900. Donors can call 800.933.2566 to schedule an appointment.

In addition to helping others, until January 26th, 2025 American Red Cross donors will be automatically entered for a chance to win a trip for two to New Oreans and watch the Superbowl LIX, as well as a $1,000 gift card.

Tips from Fellow Donor and Community Editor Sierra Lidén

• Fill out the forms online beforehand
• Chug water like your veins depend on it (they do!). This will make placing the needle easier for the medical professional and will make you feel better after the donation
• Eat a filling meal full of protein, fat and sugar before your appointment. 
• Don’t make the same mistake as your friendly neighborhood Community Editor – do not hold your breath and do not watch while they place the needle, or you might just end up fainting in your high school gym 
• If you do feel faint, you can request to have the stretcher adjusted so you can lie down. You are welcome to lie on the stretcher as long as you want. Take your time and recover!