Community Blood Services Issues Urgent Appeal
For Type O Negative Blood Donors

January 2014

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Following the holiday season and Winter Storm Hercules, Community Blood Services is appealing to eligible volunteer Type O negative and Type O negative cmv negative blood donors to schedule their next life-giving appointments to help rebuild the critically low supply.

�We urgently need Type O negative blood donors to come out so we can continue to meet the needs of patients in our community hospitals,� said Karen Ferriday, community affairs director. She said the supply has been dropping daily, with less than a day�s supply on the shelves.

Donor cancelations and delayed openings at the blood centers, as well as the cancelation of several blood drives after winter storm Hercules, further impacted the supply of O negative blood supply, she said. Platelets and AB male plasma are also urgently needed, she said, noting at least 30 platelets must be collected each day to meet the needs of patients in local hospitals.

O negative blood donors who donate at the Paramus, Montvale or Lincoln Park donor sites through Friday, January 10 will receive a Shake Shack gift card as a thank you for their life-giving donations.

"The supply of blood and platelets was already low after the holiday because there are fewer blood drives at this time a year and many donors are away on vacation and the recent storm further impacted the supply," Ferriday said.

O-negative blood donors are in most demand by hospitals because they are "universal donors" whose blood can be transfused into anyone in emergency rooms and trauma situations when there is no time for blood typing, Ferriday said, noting O negative cmv negative donors are needed especially to help seriously ill babies in local hospitals. Patients undergoing emergency treatments at local hospitals depend upon red blood cell transfusions, while patients undergoing cancer treatments often need regular platelet transfusions, she said.

Donors can call 201-251-3703 to schedule an appointment at the Paramus, Lincoln Park or Montvale donor centers or click here to schedule online. Click here for locations and hours of operations. Donors also can donate at one of the following community mobile blood drives: