Blood and platelets urgently needed this summer

An urgent appeal for blood and platelet donations has been made to deal with a serious shortage at hospitals throughout the state.

Life-saving blood and platelet donations are given to patients in a wide range of circumstances including cancer care, trauma events such as car accidents and home accidents, childbirth and mass casualty events.

Historically, inventories of blood and platelets drop during the summer months when donors are on vacation or busy with family activities. With schools and colleges closed there are less large group opportunities to give blood, depleting the blood supply greatly.

Although the need for blood, especially Type O, is large, the need for single donor platelets is expected to reach critical levels by the end of June and continue throughout the summer. Many cancer patients depend on platelet transfusions to help them regain their strength, fight infections, and recover from cancer treatment as well as to prevent life-threatening hemorrhages if platelet levels drop too low.

Some patients, especially those who have had a bone marrow transplant or who are being treated for leukemia, may require daily platelet transfusions for several weeks.

“Donations have slowed down, and hospitals are in dire need of blood and platelets now that school is out and people are heading out on summer vacations,” said Sally Wells, Business Development and Community Liaison for Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital’s (RWJUH) Blood Donor Center.

“Last year, cancer patients treated throughout the system required roughly 25,000 units of platelets for necessary transfusions. Blood and platelets can’t be manufactured, they can only come from donations. Every donation is important, and by taking the time to donate blood or platelets you’re able to help those who desperately need it.”

Here’s how you can donate: Schedule an appointment at a fixed site Donor Rooms:

RWJBarnabas Health has two fixed locations, one at RWJUH in New Brunswick, located on the 4th floor of the Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School Clinical Academic Building (CAB) at 125 Paterson Street in New Brunswick, and one at RWJUH Somerset, located at 110 Rehill Avenue in Somerville. Both Donor Centers are open Monday - Friday and select Saturdays.

To further encourage donations, there are special summer giveaways being held at the RWJUH Donor Center in New Brunswick such as $10 gift cards for blood donors and $20 gift cards for platelet donors as a thank you gift. Also, t-shirts and entry into bi-weekly raffles to win a family fun package to Jenkinson’s Pavilion in Point Pleasant Beach are available. Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset is offering $10 gift cards to all type O blood and platelet donors. Additionally, they are offering raffle drawings monthly for a $25 ShopRite gift card.

To make an appointment at a fixed RWJUH Donor Room or to find a blood drive location near you, please visit: https://www.rwjuhdonorclub.org. or call 732-235-8100 ext. 221.

There is also a drive scheduled at the Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center on Thursday, Aug. 10 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Islami Auditorium Side B, 94 Old Short Hills Road, Livingston NJ

The American Red Cross has blood drives scheduled at the following locations and times:

Monday, July 10, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Cambria Hotel West Orange, 12 Rooney Circle, West Orange.

Tuesday, July 18, from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m., Nutley Masonic Lodge 25, 175 Chestnut St., Nutley.

Thursday, July 20,from 1:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the Montclair Community Church, 143 Watchung Ave.

Saturday, Aug. 5, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Millburn High School, 462 Millburn Ave. Millburn.

Monday, Aug. 7, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Cambria Hotel West Orange, 12 Rooney Circle, West

To give blood, go to RedCrossBlood.org, select the appropriate event and make an appointment.

If you don’t feel well on the day of your donation, please call to cancel.

You may be deferred from donating blood or platelets if you have lived in or traveled to a malaria-risk country in the past three years.