WEBVTT
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Hi Westchester.
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I'm Westchester County Government Communications Director Katherine Chaffee.
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And as an extension of This Week in Westchester, the podcast, we welcome you to Westchester Explained.
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In this episode, we talk about donating blood, platelets, and plasma in Westchester with the New York Blood Center's Brian Harper.
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We discuss the critical need for blood donations and why maintaining a healthy blood supply is so important for hospitals and patients across the county and the region.
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We also explore how donated blood supports everything from emergency trauma care and cancer patients to routine surgeries and why seasonal shortages can create serious challenges for healthcare providers.
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We also break down the donation process, dispel common misconceptions, and highlight the life-saving impact a single donation can have.
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Join us as we discuss the importance of giving blood, platelets, or plasma and the urgent need for blood donors this summer, and why it matters to Westchester residents.
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Because this is Westchester explained.
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So let's begin.
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So we're here today with Brian Harper from the Blood Center.
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Very specific about it.
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New York Blood Center is community and stakeholder relations.
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And you're here to talk to us about something that we hear about all the time donating blood.
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So first off, tell us a little bit about the New York Blood Center.
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Great.
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Thank you so much for having me.
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So New York Blood Center has been a mainstay of the Tri-State area for more than 60 years.
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We were established in 1964.
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And each year we deliver more than half a million life-saving blood products to more than 200 hospitals, EMS, and healthcare partners in the Tri-State area.
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And so when we say blood products, that means whole blood.
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What does that mean?
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Yep.
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Whole blood, um, double red cells, and then platelets and plasma.
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So platelets are tiny cell fragments that are part of your blood and they go to treat cancer patients, for example.
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And then plasma often treats burn victims.
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What's double blood?
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Double red cells.
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So um sometimes people can um make sort of a larger volume of blood uh donation.
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So someone maybe a little bit bigger of a person who is able to um dispense with that.
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Um and so they will make just twice the amount of uh red cell donation.
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Wow.
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I didn't know that.
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That's amazing.
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So um I think you know, we always hear about giving blood.
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And of course, God forbid, you're in this situation and you need blood.
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It's a very serious.
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But um, how often would you say blood is needed?
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Every day.
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Okay.
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Yeah.
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So blood is um is needed every day.
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It goes to treat uh traumatic accident victims.
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So if someone's in a car crash, for example, but it also is part of routine surgeries, uh, treating cancer patients.
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Um we need about 7,500 donations a week uh to provide for the hospitals that we serve in the area.
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Yep.
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Yeah.
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And so uh blood is needed every day.
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And one of the challenges is that blood doesn't have a very long shelf life.
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And so um when someone donates whole blood, uh it can be refrigerated for up to about 42 days.
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And so people often hear the term blood bank, but we say we're really more of a blood pipeline.
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As soon as it comes in and we're able to process it, it's going out to serve patients in our hospitals.
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Wow.
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And so let's walk through the process.
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So I woke up to the NIA blood center and I want to donate blood.
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What happens?
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Yeah.
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So first you come in and you fill out a medical questionnaire just to make sure that you're feeling healthy and well, that you're eligible to donate.
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Um, assuming that you are, then we have a medical screening process, and that's just taking your vitals, making sure that your iron is at an appropriate level so you can donate, checking your blood pressure, things like that.
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Assuming that that goes forward, then you actually do the donation process.
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And that is quite quick.
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It can be anywhere from say five or six minutes on the low end to 10, 15, maybe 20 minutes on the high end.
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Still very quick, though.
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Very quick.
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And then once you've donated, we just want to make sure that you're still feeling healthy and well, that you're not a little wobbly.
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And so we have a canteen area, both at our blood donor centers as well as blood drives, where you can sit, have some apple juice or cranberry juice, have some water, have some cookies, get a little sugar in you, just make sure that you're feeling healthy and well.
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And then after about 15 minutes, you're on your way, knowing that that single donation can save up to three lives.
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Amazing.
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Three lives.
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That's a significant um amount.
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And does it matter your blood type is one more?
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Of course, we all know O is the universal donor.
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I don't feel like we learned that.
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I don't even know where we learned that, but everybody knows that.
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But is there one blood type that is is A better, B better, or it does it matter?
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Aaron Powell It's not it's not a question of better, it's just sort of a question of where the blood goes.
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So you referenced O being the universal blood type.
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So that's O negative.
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And so um the reason that is emphasized is anyone can receive blood from someone who's O negative.
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And so in a traumatic accident situation where there's maybe not necess not time to check what's what the recipient's blood type is, anyone can get that O negative blood.
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So that's why that's really important.
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But I'm a positive, for example.
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And so um I often try to donate platelets to help cancer patients.
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And so your blood type um just determines who can receive your blood and what the purpose for it might be.
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But um, we are very happy to have blood donors of all types.
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Of all of them, not just O.
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My husband's O, actually.
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I think that's why I know this uh this line.
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But um, so from the time somebody donates, how long does it take for that blood to then actually be going to a patient?
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It can vary.
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Um anecdotally, um, as a regular donor, I will often in within a week or two, I will get an email saying that um thank you so much for your donation.
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Here is the hospital where your blood went.
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And so it's a pretty quick process.
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Um we are FDA regulated.
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And so the blood has to be um tested just to make sure that um, again, people are are healthy and well, that there are no um infections or situations that they might not know about um that would preclude their blood from going to someone else.
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But it's pretty quick within within a few weeks.
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Aaron Powell So what happens if somebody donates blood and then you screen it and you find that they did in fact have an infection?
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Um so if there were any particular issue that would prevent them um from donating blood or from their blood going to someone, we would reach out to them and just to let them know.
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And then it's what if it's like a cold or something?
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Does that matter?
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Well, on the day of uh a donation, if someone was having a cold uh someone had a cold or was experiencing, say, flu symptoms, we would ask them to hold off on donating until they feel healthy and well again.
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Aaron Powell Okay.
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So you're really screening for serious infections.
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Yeah.
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Yeah.
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Okay.
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Okay.
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And um you know, we always hear about, which is actually the reason that you ended up here today, is the summer blood emergency.
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So what happens in the summer?
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Yeah.
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So um blood emergencies um are something that can come about uh during the winter months and the summer months.
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Um and so in the case of the summer months, we typically see uh, you know, schools are on break, people are on vacation.
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And so that means less people are donating blood.
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Um the challenge, though, is that just at that same time, there is an increased demand for blood.
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Um, there are often more traumatic accidents because people are out traveling.
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Uh, Fourth of July weekend, that can often be a tough time for hospitals.
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For sure.
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And so there's an increase in demand and a decrease in supply.
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And so when the supply gets down to a critically low level, and in the case of the emergency that we're currently experiencing in New York, it got down to less than a two-day supply.
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And so we had 4,500 fewer donations than we needed to adequately supply our hospitals.
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And uh, for context, a seven-day supply would be considered a healthy amount.
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Okay.
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And so um, it's something that um we we try to anticipate as best we can.
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And then um hospitals are making decisions about, you know, making sure that the most urgent needs are being met.
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But obviously, even for routine surgeries and other situations where someone needs blood, we don't want anybody to go without.
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So what happens?
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You know, you you get to this critically low mass, this emergency level.
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What do the hospitals then do?
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They do do they postpone surgeries?
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I mean, obviously you can't postpone a traumatic incident.
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Right.
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But do they postpone other things?
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Um You know, there's a number of ways that we can uh address that.
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And um I I I personally can't really um speak to you know how hospitals go about making um making situations or doctors go about making situations.
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But um, but generally speaking.
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But generally speaking, yeah, I mean I think that if there is not enough blood to go around, that means that they have to focus on the most urgent needs and then um you know make make difficult decisions.
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And so in in announcing a blood emergency, we're communicating to the public, communicating to our partners that we do not have enough blood to go around.
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So please, if you are healthy, if you are eligible, please come in to donate blood.
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Um, and fortunately, uh, in the case of this current emergency, we saw a great response in the community.
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But as we were saying before, um, the need is constant.
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And so, um, you know, you can have a few really good days where people are coming in to donate blood, but it needs to be continuous.
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And um, you know, there's a lot of exciting things going on in New York right now, obviously, with the Knicks on their run, with the World Cup coming.
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And so those are the kinds of things that we're looking to anticipate further shortages, where again, people might hang out and about, um, donating blood might not be front of mind.
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And so um we just really need to keep a constant stream of donors coming to blood drives and coming to donor centers to to ensure that uh we're getting the blood that we need in our hospitals.
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And and you were explaining this um last time I chatted that there's no substitute for blood.
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Right.
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So can you expand on that a little bit?
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Yeah.
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And so um, you know, I think people often forget that um blood cannot be made in a lab.
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It really does come from individuals like you and me.
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It needs to come from us to go to people in need.
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And so uh we we rely on volunteer donors.
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There's no there's no synthetic form of blood.
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It it comes it comes from people.
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I think people sometimes would assume that they think there have been so many medical advances, like this must be one of them, and it's not happened.
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Correct.
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Yeah.
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Yeah.
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And would you say, you know, who relies the most on blood donations?
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Is it trauma, is it cancer patients, is it children?
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Who who uh out of the three, or if is there somebody else, who is it?
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Aaron Ross Powell 25 percent of blood goes to cancer patients.
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So um cancer patients make up a a huge portion of um uh blood recipients.
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And so that that's substantial.
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And then um, I'm not exactly sure what the breakdown is among um some of the other situations.
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Well we know number one is cancer patients.
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Aaron Powell Cancer is 25 percent.
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I I do I can say that.
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Yeah.
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Um and and overall, when it comes to blood donations and giving blood, what would you say is the biggest misconception people have when they walk through the door?
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I think that's um it's not so much a misconception.
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I think that um there is um maybe just some built-in fear, which is understandable.
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Um the needles, right?
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Exactly.
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And I think that um, you know, we we want to be very uh mindful and respectful of that fear.
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But I think uh the upside far away is the downside.
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Uh personally, I I don't love being stuck with the needle either, but it is um relatively minor discomfort.
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And the upside, again, is that uh you can save up to three lives.
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And in in the work that my colleagues and I do, we regularly, regularly get to meet uh people whose lives have been changed and in some cases saved by blood donations.
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Well, that's what I wanted to ask.
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Can you tell us some of those stories?
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Absolutely.
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So um a few months ago, we opened a new donor center in the Bronx, our first one in uh Throg's neck.
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And um, at the opening, uh, the mother of a young woman spoke, and her daughter had been waiting for a bus some some years ago and was hit by a drunk driver.
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And um her it was really touch and go um for for several hours there, where um it was not looking like she was gonna make it.
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But the doctors kept uh giving her more and more blood that came from volunteer donors who who didn't know her, didn't know where that blood was gonna go.
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And um thank God she she survived and she uh was okay.
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And now she's she's married.
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She's pursuing her own career in healthcare, trying to help other people in need.
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Um, and so hearing her mother speak all these years later, you the the fear of that moment was palpable.
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And her gratitude to the volunteers, again, strangers who had just stepped up to to donate blood, maybe at a blood drive at their place of worship or their workplace.
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Um their decision to donate blood saved her daughter's life.
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Right.
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It's you know, it's interesting because um, and I guess I never really thought about it, but of course it's true.
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You you don't know who you're saving.
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You don't know where your blood is going.
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And it's the most selfless thing you can do.
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It's really beautiful.
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Absolutely.
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Yeah.
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I think that it's it's so easy to forget um, too, just how um you know how fragile life is and how it really could be any of us.
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Uh, you know, it your life can change in a moment.
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And so I think we often uh we we kind of see it as a uh as good karma or paying it forward and trying to, you know, help help a stranger in need because you never know when that's gonna be your situation.
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And and how often can somebody donate blood?
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Every 56 days.
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So every eight weeks, um, you can donate whole blood.
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And then uh the timeline varies if you're donating some of the other blood products that we we discussed.
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So um playlets you can donate every seven days up to twice a month.
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Oh, wow.
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Um, plasma every 28 days, and then um double red cell donations every um, I believe it's 112 days.
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Okay.
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And what are what is the process for donating plasma and donating the others?
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Yeah.
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So there is a um there's a process called aphoresis, and what that does is your blood is drawn out of you as if though you were making a whole blood um donation, and then the component parts are separated.
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And so, for example, if you're donating platelets, the platelets are separated out, and then the rest of your blood is returned to you.
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Um, and so that's why you're able to donate platelets more frequently.
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Your platelet count in your body recovers more quickly.
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And so um you're able to do it again seven days later.
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Um and so And how long does that take?
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Platelet donations take a while.
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They take uh about two hours.
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Okay.
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So like read a book.
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Yeah, exactly.
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I have I have occasionally dozed off when you've donated input.
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And what about for the other um plasma?
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Um plasma, I believe that is uh about 45 minutes.
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Okay.
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Yeah.
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Okay.
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So again, another relaxing little 45 minutes.
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And whole blood is the same as I'm sorry, double red is the same as doing whole?
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Double red is a little bit longer.
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Um I don't know the exact note.
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I've I've actually myself not done double red.
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I usually do either whole blood or um or platelets.
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Aaron Powell And is one, is it uh whole blood, of course, is always needed.
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Platelets versus plasma is one in greater demand.
00:16:05.440 --> 00:16:17.120
Um I think just because platelets have such a short shelf life of um we platelets are stored at room temperature for uh about five days.
00:16:17.200 --> 00:16:17.840
Aaron Powell Oh, wow.
00:16:18.080 --> 00:16:18.480
So platelet.
00:16:19.360 --> 00:16:27.519
So platelets are just a little bit more um, I I use the reference to a pipeline earlier, and that's kind of the situation with platelets.
00:16:27.679 --> 00:16:30.080
Aaron Powell And that's interesting, they have to be stored at room temperature.
00:16:30.159 --> 00:16:31.120
Aaron Powell Correct, yeah.
00:16:31.519 --> 00:16:34.000
And what temperature does whole blood have to be stored at?
00:16:34.399 --> 00:16:36.320
Um whole blood can be refrigerated.
00:16:36.639 --> 00:16:36.799
Okay.
00:16:37.039 --> 00:16:39.679
Um and then plasma can be frozen for up to a year.
00:16:39.840 --> 00:16:47.120
So plasma uh it's not it's not trying trying to distinguish between um like what what is better or more important.
00:16:47.200 --> 00:16:49.200
It's just sort of how they're stored is interested.
00:16:49.519 --> 00:16:53.200
Yeah, no, it's just it's it's interesting that could be frozen and others can't.
00:16:53.279 --> 00:16:58.399
And I won't ask you to explain the science because I won't ask you to explain that one.
00:16:58.559 --> 00:17:00.480
Um but that's that's really interesting.
00:17:00.639 --> 00:17:06.160
And so the hospitals that the New York Blood Center is supplying blood for, are they just in Westchester?
00:17:06.319 --> 00:17:06.720
Where are they?
00:17:07.039 --> 00:17:08.400
They're throughout the tri-state area.
00:17:08.640 --> 00:17:08.720
Okay.
00:17:08.960 --> 00:17:09.200
Yep.
00:17:09.279 --> 00:17:19.920
And so we supply to hospitals New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and then um New York Blood Center is actually part of an enterprise, appropriately named New York Blood Center Enterprises.
00:17:20.240 --> 00:17:31.200
So we have other divisions uh located throughout the country, um, in Rhode Island, Delaware, Twin Cities, Nebraska, um Missouri, Kansas.
00:17:31.440 --> 00:17:33.759
So we're in um about 16 states.
00:17:34.000 --> 00:17:39.839
And so in each of those divisions, then they supply to hospitals in their respective regions as well.
00:17:40.319 --> 00:17:40.559
Okay.
00:17:40.799 --> 00:17:45.119
And if somebody's listening to this and they've never donated blood before, what would you say to them?
00:17:45.200 --> 00:17:47.920
How would you encourage them to give you a call?
00:17:48.559 --> 00:18:00.559
So um if if there's any reticence, I again completely understand it, but it really is um a quick, uh relatively pain-free process.
00:18:00.720 --> 00:18:06.319
Um and you you have no idea the difference that you can make in somebody's life.
00:18:06.559 --> 00:18:26.400
Uh again, uh my colleagues and I, we regularly get to meet people who the reason they were there to, you know, walk their daughter down the aisle or to um, you know, a child who was able to beat cancer and go back to school and play sports and be with their friends is because of blood donors.
00:18:26.640 --> 00:18:41.359
And so um the minor discomfort of donating blood or the minor um, you know, taking an hour out of your schedule once every couple of months uh can truly make all the difference in somebody else's life.
00:18:41.440 --> 00:18:49.759
And so if you have any interest whatsoever, please, please, please visit nybc.org.
00:18:50.000 --> 00:18:53.519
You can find a donor center or a blood drive near you.
00:18:53.759 --> 00:18:59.359
And um, your decision to donate blood uh makes makes all the difference in somebody's life.
00:18:59.599 --> 00:19:00.880
Let's say that website one more time.
00:19:00.960 --> 00:19:03.200
So if people want to find out more and donate, where do they go?
00:19:03.440 --> 00:19:08.880
Yep, it's NYBC, so New York Blood Center, NYBC.org.
00:19:09.279 --> 00:19:10.559
Is there a phone number as well?
00:19:10.880 --> 00:19:11.279
There is.
00:19:11.359 --> 00:19:13.359
Uh there's an 800 number listed on the website.
00:19:13.440 --> 00:19:14.480
I don't know the number off of the phone.
00:19:15.119 --> 00:19:15.599
It's okay.
00:19:15.759 --> 00:19:22.160
Um and also on the website, if people's if somebody wants to organize a blood drive for their company or their school, the all that information, I assume, is there.
00:19:22.400 --> 00:19:22.720
Absolutely.
00:19:22.799 --> 00:19:22.960
Yep.
00:19:23.039 --> 00:19:23.920
There's a page on the site.
00:19:24.000 --> 00:19:25.599
I think it just says host a blood drive.
00:19:25.680 --> 00:19:29.200
And so you can contact our team and we can walk you through the process.
00:19:29.359 --> 00:19:31.599
Um, we we really do all the heavy lifting.
00:19:31.680 --> 00:19:33.599
We bring all the equipment, we bring the staff.
00:19:33.839 --> 00:19:42.960
In hosting a blood drive, what you're doing to partner with us is uh providing the space and then um getting the word out to the people in your network who would come in to donate.
00:19:43.359 --> 00:19:44.240
Okay, terrific.
00:19:44.480 --> 00:19:51.359
And and the summer just started, so we got about many weeks to go to ensure that the blood count stays up.
00:19:51.759 --> 00:19:52.000
Yep.
00:19:52.160 --> 00:20:04.000
And so before you go on vacation, before you um, you know, if you're lucky enough to have tickets to a World Cup match, um do your do your active service for the community, go donate blood.
00:20:04.160 --> 00:20:07.839
And um we we're just so grateful for anyone who does.
00:20:08.079 --> 00:20:09.119
Yeah, that's good karma.
00:20:09.359 --> 00:20:09.680
Exactly.
00:20:09.759 --> 00:20:11.519
It is good, it's it's the best karma.
00:20:11.759 --> 00:20:11.920
Yeah.
00:20:12.160 --> 00:20:13.599
Anything else you want to share with us?
00:20:13.839 --> 00:20:19.599
Um we just want to thank all of the volunteer blood donors who do contribute um to our work.
00:20:19.759 --> 00:20:24.319
Uh again, your your life-saving gift is is remarkable.
00:20:24.480 --> 00:20:26.559
We're so thankful for all that you do.
00:20:26.720 --> 00:20:34.640
Um, to all the people who partner with us, uh, the Westchester County government has been such a wonderful partner in getting out the word whenever there's uh a blood shortage.
00:20:34.799 --> 00:20:36.400
Um we're so grateful to them.
00:20:36.480 --> 00:20:39.519
And to anyone who's thought about donating blood, but maybe hasn't before.
00:20:39.599 --> 00:20:41.599
Uh, we would love to have you as part of our community.
00:20:41.680 --> 00:20:45.119
So please, again, visit nybc.org.
00:20:45.279 --> 00:20:48.480
Um, find a blood drive or a blood donor center near you.
00:20:48.720 --> 00:20:49.519
Okay, terrific.
00:20:49.680 --> 00:20:51.359
Well, thank you so much for being with us today.
00:20:51.519 --> 00:20:55.279
And everyone who's listening, go to the website, sign up to give blood.
00:20:59.039 --> 00:21:00.160
Thank you very much.
00:00:06.000 --> 00:00:07.200
Hi Westchester.
00:00:07.280 --> 00:00:11.199
I'm Westchester County Government Communications Director Katherine Chaffee.
00:00:11.359 --> 00:00:17.600
And as an extension of This Week in Westchester, the podcast, we welcome you to Westchester Explained.
00:00:17.760 --> 00:00:25.039
In this episode, we talk about donating blood, platelets, and plasma in Westchester with the New York Blood Center's Brian Harper.
00:00:25.199 --> 00:00:34.079
We discuss the critical need for blood donations and why maintaining a healthy blood supply is so important for hospitals and patients across the county and the region.
00:00:34.399 --> 00:00:47.359
We also explore how donated blood supports everything from emergency trauma care and cancer patients to routine surgeries and why seasonal shortages can create serious challenges for healthcare providers.
00:00:47.600 --> 00:00:56.000
We also break down the donation process, dispel common misconceptions, and highlight the life-saving impact a single donation can have.
00:00:56.240 --> 00:01:05.599
Join us as we discuss the importance of giving blood, platelets, or plasma and the urgent need for blood donors this summer, and why it matters to Westchester residents.
00:01:05.840 --> 00:01:08.400
Because this is Westchester explained.
00:01:08.560 --> 00:01:10.079
So let's begin.
00:01:12.000 --> 00:01:16.159
So we're here today with Brian Harper from the Blood Center.
00:01:17.519 --> 00:01:18.239
Very specific about it.
00:01:18.319 --> 00:01:20.959
New York Blood Center is community and stakeholder relations.
00:01:21.200 --> 00:01:26.879
And you're here to talk to us about something that we hear about all the time donating blood.
00:01:27.120 --> 00:01:30.079
So first off, tell us a little bit about the New York Blood Center.
00:01:30.400 --> 00:01:30.640
Great.
00:01:30.719 --> 00:01:31.760
Thank you so much for having me.
00:01:31.920 --> 00:01:36.480
So New York Blood Center has been a mainstay of the Tri-State area for more than 60 years.
00:01:36.640 --> 00:01:38.959
We were established in 1964.
00:01:39.519 --> 00:01:48.079
And each year we deliver more than half a million life-saving blood products to more than 200 hospitals, EMS, and healthcare partners in the Tri-State area.
00:01:48.239 --> 00:01:50.640
And so when we say blood products, that means whole blood.
00:01:50.959 --> 00:01:51.439
What does that mean?
00:01:51.760 --> 00:01:51.920
Yep.
00:01:52.079 --> 00:01:55.680
Whole blood, um, double red cells, and then platelets and plasma.
00:01:55.760 --> 00:02:01.280
So platelets are tiny cell fragments that are part of your blood and they go to treat cancer patients, for example.
00:02:01.439 --> 00:02:03.760
And then plasma often treats burn victims.
00:02:04.079 --> 00:02:04.879
What's double blood?
00:02:05.200 --> 00:02:06.000
Double red cells.
00:02:06.159 --> 00:02:12.080
So um sometimes people can um make sort of a larger volume of blood uh donation.
00:02:12.319 --> 00:02:19.439
So someone maybe a little bit bigger of a person who is able to um dispense with that.
00:02:19.520 --> 00:02:24.479
Um and so they will make just twice the amount of uh red cell donation.
00:02:24.879 --> 00:02:25.120
Wow.
00:02:25.280 --> 00:02:25.919
I didn't know that.
00:02:26.000 --> 00:02:26.800
That's amazing.
00:02:27.120 --> 00:02:30.080
So um I think you know, we always hear about giving blood.
00:02:30.240 --> 00:02:32.960
And of course, God forbid, you're in this situation and you need blood.
00:02:33.039 --> 00:02:34.319
It's a very serious.
00:02:34.879 --> 00:02:38.800
But um, how often would you say blood is needed?
00:02:39.199 --> 00:02:39.759
Every day.
00:02:40.000 --> 00:02:40.159
Okay.
00:02:40.479 --> 00:02:40.639
Yeah.
00:02:40.719 --> 00:02:43.199
So blood is um is needed every day.
00:02:43.360 --> 00:02:46.240
It goes to treat uh traumatic accident victims.
00:02:46.319 --> 00:02:53.360
So if someone's in a car crash, for example, but it also is part of routine surgeries, uh, treating cancer patients.
00:02:53.680 --> 00:03:01.919
Um we need about 7,500 donations a week uh to provide for the hospitals that we serve in the area.
00:03:02.159 --> 00:03:02.479
Yep.
00:03:02.719 --> 00:03:03.039
Yeah.
00:03:03.280 --> 00:03:05.439
And so uh blood is needed every day.
00:03:05.599 --> 00:03:10.240
And one of the challenges is that blood doesn't have a very long shelf life.
00:03:10.400 --> 00:03:17.759
And so um when someone donates whole blood, uh it can be refrigerated for up to about 42 days.
00:03:18.000 --> 00:03:22.479
And so people often hear the term blood bank, but we say we're really more of a blood pipeline.
00:03:22.719 --> 00:03:27.840
As soon as it comes in and we're able to process it, it's going out to serve patients in our hospitals.
00:03:28.159 --> 00:03:28.719
Wow.
00:03:28.960 --> 00:03:30.719
And so let's walk through the process.
00:03:30.879 --> 00:03:34.319
So I woke up to the NIA blood center and I want to donate blood.
00:03:34.400 --> 00:03:34.960
What happens?
00:03:35.280 --> 00:03:35.439
Yeah.
00:03:35.520 --> 00:03:43.120
So first you come in and you fill out a medical questionnaire just to make sure that you're feeling healthy and well, that you're eligible to donate.
00:03:43.280 --> 00:03:55.039
Um, assuming that you are, then we have a medical screening process, and that's just taking your vitals, making sure that your iron is at an appropriate level so you can donate, checking your blood pressure, things like that.
00:03:55.360 --> 00:03:59.759
Assuming that that goes forward, then you actually do the donation process.
00:04:00.000 --> 00:04:02.240
And that is quite quick.
00:04:02.400 --> 00:04:09.680
It can be anywhere from say five or six minutes on the low end to 10, 15, maybe 20 minutes on the high end.
00:04:10.000 --> 00:04:10.800
Still very quick, though.
00:04:11.120 --> 00:04:11.759
Very quick.
00:04:12.000 --> 00:04:17.920
And then once you've donated, we just want to make sure that you're still feeling healthy and well, that you're not a little wobbly.
00:04:18.000 --> 00:04:30.720
And so we have a canteen area, both at our blood donor centers as well as blood drives, where you can sit, have some apple juice or cranberry juice, have some water, have some cookies, get a little sugar in you, just make sure that you're feeling healthy and well.
00:04:30.879 --> 00:04:37.040
And then after about 15 minutes, you're on your way, knowing that that single donation can save up to three lives.
00:04:37.439 --> 00:04:37.920
Amazing.
00:04:38.079 --> 00:04:38.560
Three lives.
00:04:38.639 --> 00:04:40.720
That's a significant um amount.
00:04:40.879 --> 00:04:43.279
And does it matter your blood type is one more?
00:04:43.680 --> 00:04:45.439
Of course, we all know O is the universal donor.
00:04:45.519 --> 00:04:46.720
I don't feel like we learned that.
00:04:46.800 --> 00:04:48.560
I don't even know where we learned that, but everybody knows that.
00:04:48.720 --> 00:04:53.040
But is there one blood type that is is A better, B better, or it does it matter?
00:04:53.120 --> 00:04:57.040
Aaron Powell It's not it's not a question of better, it's just sort of a question of where the blood goes.
00:04:57.120 --> 00:04:59.519
So you referenced O being the universal blood type.
00:04:59.600 --> 00:05:00.800
So that's O negative.
00:05:00.879 --> 00:05:07.199
And so um the reason that is emphasized is anyone can receive blood from someone who's O negative.
00:05:07.360 --> 00:05:17.519
And so in a traumatic accident situation where there's maybe not necess not time to check what's what the recipient's blood type is, anyone can get that O negative blood.
00:05:17.600 --> 00:05:19.199
So that's why that's really important.
00:05:19.519 --> 00:05:21.360
But I'm a positive, for example.
00:05:21.439 --> 00:05:25.439
And so um I often try to donate platelets to help cancer patients.
00:05:25.600 --> 00:05:32.240
And so your blood type um just determines who can receive your blood and what the purpose for it might be.
00:05:32.480 --> 00:05:35.439
But um, we are very happy to have blood donors of all types.
00:05:35.759 --> 00:05:37.040
Of all of them, not just O.
00:05:37.360 --> 00:05:38.560
My husband's O, actually.
00:05:38.639 --> 00:05:40.879
I think that's why I know this uh this line.
00:05:41.120 --> 00:05:49.839
But um, so from the time somebody donates, how long does it take for that blood to then actually be going to a patient?
00:05:50.319 --> 00:05:51.199
It can vary.
00:05:51.279 --> 00:06:02.879
Um anecdotally, um, as a regular donor, I will often in within a week or two, I will get an email saying that um thank you so much for your donation.
00:06:03.120 --> 00:06:06.000
Here is the hospital where your blood went.
00:06:06.160 --> 00:06:08.560
And so it's a pretty quick process.
00:06:08.639 --> 00:06:10.480
Um we are FDA regulated.
00:06:10.560 --> 00:06:25.040
And so the blood has to be um tested just to make sure that um, again, people are are healthy and well, that there are no um infections or situations that they might not know about um that would preclude their blood from going to someone else.
00:06:25.199 --> 00:06:27.759
But it's pretty quick within within a few weeks.
00:06:27.839 --> 00:06:34.480
Aaron Powell So what happens if somebody donates blood and then you screen it and you find that they did in fact have an infection?
00:06:34.879 --> 00:06:43.839
Um so if there were any particular issue that would prevent them um from donating blood or from their blood going to someone, we would reach out to them and just to let them know.
00:06:43.920 --> 00:06:46.000
And then it's what if it's like a cold or something?
00:06:46.160 --> 00:06:46.720
Does that matter?
00:06:47.199 --> 00:06:57.839
Well, on the day of uh a donation, if someone was having a cold uh someone had a cold or was experiencing, say, flu symptoms, we would ask them to hold off on donating until they feel healthy and well again.
00:06:57.920 --> 00:06:58.319
Aaron Powell Okay.
00:06:58.560 --> 00:07:00.800
So you're really screening for serious infections.
00:07:01.199 --> 00:07:01.439
Yeah.
00:07:01.519 --> 00:07:01.680
Yeah.
00:07:02.079 --> 00:07:02.319
Okay.
00:07:02.560 --> 00:07:02.879
Okay.
00:07:03.519 --> 00:07:11.600
And um you know, we always hear about, which is actually the reason that you ended up here today, is the summer blood emergency.
00:07:11.839 --> 00:07:13.759
So what happens in the summer?
00:07:14.240 --> 00:07:14.399
Yeah.
00:07:14.560 --> 00:07:22.240
So um blood emergencies um are something that can come about uh during the winter months and the summer months.
00:07:22.319 --> 00:07:29.839
Um and so in the case of the summer months, we typically see uh, you know, schools are on break, people are on vacation.
00:07:29.920 --> 00:07:32.639
And so that means less people are donating blood.
00:07:32.800 --> 00:07:38.399
Um the challenge, though, is that just at that same time, there is an increased demand for blood.
00:07:38.560 --> 00:07:42.720
Um, there are often more traumatic accidents because people are out traveling.
00:07:42.800 --> 00:07:46.720
Uh, Fourth of July weekend, that can often be a tough time for hospitals.
00:07:46.879 --> 00:07:47.279
For sure.
00:07:47.519 --> 00:07:52.240
And so there's an increase in demand and a decrease in supply.
00:07:52.399 --> 00:08:02.240
And so when the supply gets down to a critically low level, and in the case of the emergency that we're currently experiencing in New York, it got down to less than a two-day supply.
00:08:02.560 --> 00:08:09.120
And so we had 4,500 fewer donations than we needed to adequately supply our hospitals.
00:08:09.279 --> 00:08:13.120
And uh, for context, a seven-day supply would be considered a healthy amount.
00:08:13.360 --> 00:08:13.680
Okay.
00:08:13.920 --> 00:08:20.399
And so um, it's something that um we we try to anticipate as best we can.
00:08:20.480 --> 00:08:29.199
And then um hospitals are making decisions about, you know, making sure that the most urgent needs are being met.
00:08:29.519 --> 00:08:36.480
But obviously, even for routine surgeries and other situations where someone needs blood, we don't want anybody to go without.
00:08:37.120 --> 00:08:38.080
So what happens?
00:08:38.159 --> 00:08:43.039
You know, you you get to this critically low mass, this emergency level.
00:08:43.200 --> 00:08:44.480
What do the hospitals then do?
00:08:44.639 --> 00:08:46.159
They do do they postpone surgeries?
00:08:46.240 --> 00:08:48.799
I mean, obviously you can't postpone a traumatic incident.
00:08:48.960 --> 00:08:49.120
Right.
00:08:49.279 --> 00:08:50.720
But do they postpone other things?
00:08:51.279 --> 00:08:54.240
Um You know, there's a number of ways that we can uh address that.
00:08:54.399 --> 00:09:03.600
And um I I I personally can't really um speak to you know how hospitals go about making um making situations or doctors go about making situations.
00:09:04.080 --> 00:09:05.360
But um, but generally speaking.
00:09:05.679 --> 00:09:16.720
But generally speaking, yeah, I mean I think that if there is not enough blood to go around, that means that they have to focus on the most urgent needs and then um you know make make difficult decisions.
00:09:16.879 --> 00:09:26.080
And so in in announcing a blood emergency, we're communicating to the public, communicating to our partners that we do not have enough blood to go around.
00:09:26.159 --> 00:09:30.159
So please, if you are healthy, if you are eligible, please come in to donate blood.
00:09:30.399 --> 00:09:36.320
Um, and fortunately, uh, in the case of this current emergency, we saw a great response in the community.
00:09:36.559 --> 00:09:39.919
But as we were saying before, um, the need is constant.
00:09:40.080 --> 00:09:47.120
And so, um, you know, you can have a few really good days where people are coming in to donate blood, but it needs to be continuous.
00:09:47.840 --> 00:09:55.120
And um, you know, there's a lot of exciting things going on in New York right now, obviously, with the Knicks on their run, with the World Cup coming.
00:09:55.279 --> 00:10:06.080
And so those are the kinds of things that we're looking to anticipate further shortages, where again, people might hang out and about, um, donating blood might not be front of mind.
00:10:06.240 --> 00:10:17.360
And so um we just really need to keep a constant stream of donors coming to blood drives and coming to donor centers to to ensure that uh we're getting the blood that we need in our hospitals.
00:10:17.679 --> 00:10:22.559
And and you were explaining this um last time I chatted that there's no substitute for blood.
00:10:22.879 --> 00:10:23.200
Right.
00:10:23.440 --> 00:10:25.279
So can you expand on that a little bit?
00:10:25.679 --> 00:10:25.919
Yeah.
00:10:26.000 --> 00:10:33.279
And so um, you know, I think people often forget that um blood cannot be made in a lab.
00:10:33.360 --> 00:10:36.879
It really does come from individuals like you and me.
00:10:37.039 --> 00:10:39.759
It needs to come from us to go to people in need.
00:10:40.080 --> 00:10:43.919
And so uh we we rely on volunteer donors.
00:10:44.080 --> 00:10:46.639
There's no there's no synthetic form of blood.
00:10:46.720 --> 00:10:48.879
It it comes it comes from people.
00:10:50.159 --> 00:10:58.080
I think people sometimes would assume that they think there have been so many medical advances, like this must be one of them, and it's not happened.
00:10:58.480 --> 00:10:58.879
Correct.
00:10:59.120 --> 00:10:59.440
Yeah.
00:10:59.679 --> 00:10:59.919
Yeah.
00:11:00.559 --> 00:11:04.639
And would you say, you know, who relies the most on blood donations?
00:11:04.799 --> 00:11:07.600
Is it trauma, is it cancer patients, is it children?
00:11:07.679 --> 00:11:11.120
Who who uh out of the three, or if is there somebody else, who is it?
00:11:11.200 --> 00:11:14.320
Aaron Ross Powell 25 percent of blood goes to cancer patients.
00:11:14.559 --> 00:11:20.799
So um cancer patients make up a a huge portion of um uh blood recipients.
00:11:21.360 --> 00:11:22.720
And so that that's substantial.
00:11:22.879 --> 00:11:26.639
And then um, I'm not exactly sure what the breakdown is among um some of the other situations.
00:11:27.120 --> 00:11:28.639
Well we know number one is cancer patients.
00:11:28.720 --> 00:11:30.159
Aaron Powell Cancer is 25 percent.
00:11:30.240 --> 00:11:31.440
I I do I can say that.
00:11:31.759 --> 00:11:32.159
Yeah.
00:11:32.639 --> 00:11:41.440
Um and and overall, when it comes to blood donations and giving blood, what would you say is the biggest misconception people have when they walk through the door?
00:11:41.919 --> 00:11:44.960
I think that's um it's not so much a misconception.
00:11:45.120 --> 00:11:50.080
I think that um there is um maybe just some built-in fear, which is understandable.
00:11:50.240 --> 00:11:51.600
Um the needles, right?
00:11:51.919 --> 00:11:52.320
Exactly.
00:11:52.559 --> 00:11:59.039
And I think that um, you know, we we want to be very uh mindful and respectful of that fear.
00:11:59.200 --> 00:12:02.879
But I think uh the upside far away is the downside.
00:12:03.120 --> 00:12:11.519
Uh personally, I I don't love being stuck with the needle either, but it is um relatively minor discomfort.
00:12:11.759 --> 00:12:15.759
And the upside, again, is that uh you can save up to three lives.
00:12:15.919 --> 00:12:25.279
And in in the work that my colleagues and I do, we regularly, regularly get to meet uh people whose lives have been changed and in some cases saved by blood donations.
00:12:25.519 --> 00:12:26.480
Well, that's what I wanted to ask.
00:12:26.720 --> 00:12:28.080
Can you tell us some of those stories?
00:12:28.399 --> 00:12:29.039
Absolutely.
00:12:29.200 --> 00:12:35.840
So um a few months ago, we opened a new donor center in the Bronx, our first one in uh Throg's neck.
00:12:36.000 --> 00:12:45.360
And um, at the opening, uh, the mother of a young woman spoke, and her daughter had been waiting for a bus some some years ago and was hit by a drunk driver.
00:12:45.600 --> 00:12:54.799
And um her it was really touch and go um for for several hours there, where um it was not looking like she was gonna make it.
00:12:54.960 --> 00:13:02.960
But the doctors kept uh giving her more and more blood that came from volunteer donors who who didn't know her, didn't know where that blood was gonna go.
00:13:03.200 --> 00:13:08.720
And um thank God she she survived and she uh was okay.
00:13:08.799 --> 00:13:10.320
And now she's she's married.
00:13:10.480 --> 00:13:14.399
She's pursuing her own career in healthcare, trying to help other people in need.
00:13:14.720 --> 00:13:21.600
Um, and so hearing her mother speak all these years later, you the the fear of that moment was palpable.
00:13:21.759 --> 00:13:32.159
And her gratitude to the volunteers, again, strangers who had just stepped up to to donate blood, maybe at a blood drive at their place of worship or their workplace.
00:13:32.399 --> 00:13:36.559
Um their decision to donate blood saved her daughter's life.
00:13:36.879 --> 00:13:37.200
Right.
00:13:37.440 --> 00:13:42.159
It's you know, it's interesting because um, and I guess I never really thought about it, but of course it's true.
00:13:42.320 --> 00:13:43.840
You you don't know who you're saving.
00:13:44.000 --> 00:13:45.360
You don't know where your blood is going.
00:13:45.440 --> 00:13:47.759
And it's the most selfless thing you can do.
00:13:47.919 --> 00:13:48.720
It's really beautiful.
00:13:49.039 --> 00:13:49.440
Absolutely.
00:13:49.519 --> 00:13:49.759
Yeah.
00:13:49.840 --> 00:13:58.240
I think that it's it's so easy to forget um, too, just how um you know how fragile life is and how it really could be any of us.
00:13:58.399 --> 00:14:00.879
Uh, you know, it your life can change in a moment.
00:14:01.039 --> 00:14:14.799
And so I think we often uh we we kind of see it as a uh as good karma or paying it forward and trying to, you know, help help a stranger in need because you never know when that's gonna be your situation.
00:14:15.840 --> 00:14:18.240
And and how often can somebody donate blood?
00:14:18.559 --> 00:14:19.679
Every 56 days.
00:14:19.759 --> 00:14:22.399
So every eight weeks, um, you can donate whole blood.
00:14:22.480 --> 00:14:27.759
And then uh the timeline varies if you're donating some of the other blood products that we we discussed.
00:14:27.919 --> 00:14:31.600
So um playlets you can donate every seven days up to twice a month.
00:14:31.759 --> 00:14:32.240
Oh, wow.
00:14:32.399 --> 00:14:39.840
Um, plasma every 28 days, and then um double red cell donations every um, I believe it's 112 days.
00:14:40.080 --> 00:14:40.240
Okay.
00:14:40.399 --> 00:14:45.039
And what are what is the process for donating plasma and donating the others?
00:14:45.440 --> 00:14:45.600
Yeah.
00:14:45.759 --> 00:14:58.639
So there is a um there's a process called aphoresis, and what that does is your blood is drawn out of you as if though you were making a whole blood um donation, and then the component parts are separated.
00:14:58.799 --> 00:15:06.399
And so, for example, if you're donating platelets, the platelets are separated out, and then the rest of your blood is returned to you.
00:15:06.639 --> 00:15:11.919
Um, and so that's why you're able to donate platelets more frequently.
00:15:12.159 --> 00:15:15.200
Your platelet count in your body recovers more quickly.
00:15:15.440 --> 00:15:19.759
And so um you're able to do it again seven days later.
00:15:19.919 --> 00:15:21.840
Um and so And how long does that take?
00:15:22.080 --> 00:15:23.600
Platelet donations take a while.
00:15:23.679 --> 00:15:25.120
They take uh about two hours.
00:15:25.440 --> 00:15:25.759
Okay.
00:15:26.000 --> 00:15:27.039
So like read a book.
00:15:27.440 --> 00:15:27.759
Yeah, exactly.
00:15:29.440 --> 00:15:32.320
I have I have occasionally dozed off when you've donated input.
00:15:33.279 --> 00:15:36.240
And what about for the other um plasma?
00:15:36.559 --> 00:15:40.000
Um plasma, I believe that is uh about 45 minutes.
00:15:40.320 --> 00:15:40.559
Okay.
00:15:40.799 --> 00:15:40.960
Yeah.
00:15:41.279 --> 00:15:41.519
Okay.
00:15:41.600 --> 00:15:44.399
So again, another relaxing little 45 minutes.
00:15:44.639 --> 00:15:48.639
And whole blood is the same as I'm sorry, double red is the same as doing whole?
00:15:49.039 --> 00:15:50.639
Double red is a little bit longer.
00:15:50.720 --> 00:15:52.080
Um I don't know the exact note.
00:15:52.240 --> 00:15:54.080
I've I've actually myself not done double red.
00:15:54.559 --> 00:15:57.039
I usually do either whole blood or um or platelets.
00:15:57.120 --> 00:16:01.600
Aaron Powell And is one, is it uh whole blood, of course, is always needed.
00:16:01.759 --> 00:16:04.720
Platelets versus plasma is one in greater demand.
00:16:05.440 --> 00:16:17.120
Um I think just because platelets have such a short shelf life of um we platelets are stored at room temperature for uh about five days.
00:16:17.200 --> 00:16:17.840
Aaron Powell Oh, wow.
00:16:18.080 --> 00:16:18.480
So platelet.
00:16:19.360 --> 00:16:27.519
So platelets are just a little bit more um, I I use the reference to a pipeline earlier, and that's kind of the situation with platelets.
00:16:27.679 --> 00:16:30.080
Aaron Powell And that's interesting, they have to be stored at room temperature.
00:16:30.159 --> 00:16:31.120
Aaron Powell Correct, yeah.
00:16:31.519 --> 00:16:34.000
And what temperature does whole blood have to be stored at?
00:16:34.399 --> 00:16:36.320
Um whole blood can be refrigerated.
00:16:36.639 --> 00:16:36.799
Okay.
00:16:37.039 --> 00:16:39.679
Um and then plasma can be frozen for up to a year.
00:16:39.840 --> 00:16:47.120
So plasma uh it's not it's not trying trying to distinguish between um like what what is better or more important.
00:16:47.200 --> 00:16:49.200
It's just sort of how they're stored is interested.
00:16:49.519 --> 00:16:53.200
Yeah, no, it's just it's it's interesting that could be frozen and others can't.
00:16:53.279 --> 00:16:58.399
And I won't ask you to explain the science because I won't ask you to explain that one.
00:16:58.559 --> 00:17:00.480
Um but that's that's really interesting.
00:17:00.639 --> 00:17:06.160
And so the hospitals that the New York Blood Center is supplying blood for, are they just in Westchester?
00:17:06.319 --> 00:17:06.720
Where are they?
00:17:07.039 --> 00:17:08.400
They're throughout the tri-state area.
00:17:08.640 --> 00:17:08.720
Okay.
00:17:08.960 --> 00:17:09.200
Yep.
00:17:09.279 --> 00:17:19.920
And so we supply to hospitals New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and then um New York Blood Center is actually part of an enterprise, appropriately named New York Blood Center Enterprises.
00:17:20.240 --> 00:17:31.200
So we have other divisions uh located throughout the country, um, in Rhode Island, Delaware, Twin Cities, Nebraska, um Missouri, Kansas.
00:17:31.440 --> 00:17:33.759
So we're in um about 16 states.
00:17:34.000 --> 00:17:39.839
And so in each of those divisions, then they supply to hospitals in their respective regions as well.
00:17:40.319 --> 00:17:40.559
Okay.
00:17:40.799 --> 00:17:45.119
And if somebody's listening to this and they've never donated blood before, what would you say to them?
00:17:45.200 --> 00:17:47.920
How would you encourage them to give you a call?
00:17:48.559 --> 00:18:00.559
So um if if there's any reticence, I again completely understand it, but it really is um a quick, uh relatively pain-free process.
00:18:00.720 --> 00:18:06.319
Um and you you have no idea the difference that you can make in somebody's life.
00:18:06.559 --> 00:18:26.400
Uh again, uh my colleagues and I, we regularly get to meet people who the reason they were there to, you know, walk their daughter down the aisle or to um, you know, a child who was able to beat cancer and go back to school and play sports and be with their friends is because of blood donors.
00:18:26.640 --> 00:18:41.359
And so um the minor discomfort of donating blood or the minor um, you know, taking an hour out of your schedule once every couple of months uh can truly make all the difference in somebody else's life.
00:18:41.440 --> 00:18:49.759
And so if you have any interest whatsoever, please, please, please visit nybc.org.
00:18:50.000 --> 00:18:53.519
You can find a donor center or a blood drive near you.
00:18:53.759 --> 00:18:59.359
And um, your decision to donate blood uh makes makes all the difference in somebody's life.
00:18:59.599 --> 00:19:00.880
Let's say that website one more time.
00:19:00.960 --> 00:19:03.200
So if people want to find out more and donate, where do they go?
00:19:03.440 --> 00:19:08.880
Yep, it's NYBC, so New York Blood Center, NYBC.org.
00:19:09.279 --> 00:19:10.559
Is there a phone number as well?
00:19:10.880 --> 00:19:11.279
There is.
00:19:11.359 --> 00:19:13.359
Uh there's an 800 number listed on the website.
00:19:13.440 --> 00:19:14.480
I don't know the number off of the phone.
00:19:15.119 --> 00:19:15.599
It's okay.
00:19:15.759 --> 00:19:22.160
Um and also on the website, if people's if somebody wants to organize a blood drive for their company or their school, the all that information, I assume, is there.
00:19:22.400 --> 00:19:22.720
Absolutely.
00:19:22.799 --> 00:19:22.960
Yep.
00:19:23.039 --> 00:19:23.920
There's a page on the site.
00:19:24.000 --> 00:19:25.599
I think it just says host a blood drive.
00:19:25.680 --> 00:19:29.200
And so you can contact our team and we can walk you through the process.
00:19:29.359 --> 00:19:31.599
Um, we we really do all the heavy lifting.
00:19:31.680 --> 00:19:33.599
We bring all the equipment, we bring the staff.
00:19:33.839 --> 00:19:42.960
In hosting a blood drive, what you're doing to partner with us is uh providing the space and then um getting the word out to the people in your network who would come in to donate.
00:19:43.359 --> 00:19:44.240
Okay, terrific.
00:19:44.480 --> 00:19:51.359
And and the summer just started, so we got about many weeks to go to ensure that the blood count stays up.
00:19:51.759 --> 00:19:52.000
Yep.
00:19:52.160 --> 00:20:04.000
And so before you go on vacation, before you um, you know, if you're lucky enough to have tickets to a World Cup match, um do your do your active service for the community, go donate blood.
00:20:04.160 --> 00:20:07.839
And um we we're just so grateful for anyone who does.
00:20:08.079 --> 00:20:09.119
Yeah, that's good karma.
00:20:09.359 --> 00:20:09.680
Exactly.
00:20:09.759 --> 00:20:11.519
It is good, it's it's the best karma.
00:20:11.759 --> 00:20:11.920
Yeah.
00:20:12.160 --> 00:20:13.599
Anything else you want to share with us?
00:20:13.839 --> 00:20:19.599
Um we just want to thank all of the volunteer blood donors who do contribute um to our work.
00:20:19.759 --> 00:20:24.319
Uh again, your your life-saving gift is is remarkable.
00:20:24.480 --> 00:20:26.559
We're so thankful for all that you do.
00:20:26.720 --> 00:20:34.640
Um, to all the people who partner with us, uh, the Westchester County government has been such a wonderful partner in getting out the word whenever there's uh a blood shortage.
00:20:34.799 --> 00:20:36.400
Um we're so grateful to them.
00:20:36.480 --> 00:20:39.519
And to anyone who's thought about donating blood, but maybe hasn't before.
00:20:39.599 --> 00:20:41.599
Uh, we would love to have you as part of our community.
00:20:41.680 --> 00:20:45.119
So please, again, visit nybc.org.
00:20:45.279 --> 00:20:48.480
Um, find a blood drive or a blood donor center near you.
00:20:48.720 --> 00:20:49.519
Okay, terrific.
00:20:49.680 --> 00:20:51.359
Well, thank you so much for being with us today.
00:20:51.519 --> 00:20:55.279
And everyone who's listening, go to the website, sign up to give blood.
00:20:59.039 --> 00:21:00.160
Thank you very much.
