First Presbyterian Church Hosting Blood Drive, 3pm to 8pm, Tuesday, Oct. 21; 326 Bloomfield Avenue in Caldwell

by Carolyne Volpe Curley / Carolyne@WestEssexNOW.com
Published 8:46pm

WEST CALDWELL, NJ - The First Presbyterian Church of Caldwell will be hosting a Blood Drive Tuesday, Oct. 21, from 3pm to 8pm. Baked goods, snacks and beverages will be provided to all those who donate. The drive will be held in the gymnasium of the church education building which is located at 326 Bloomfield Avenue in Caldwell. 

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The blood drive will be administered by The Blood Center of New Jersey and donors will need to supply their social security number on their initial visit or their blood donor ID number. Donors who provide their email address will receive an email in a few days which lists their blood type and cholesterol result.

"Very little changes after giving blood," a Blood Center spokesperson commented. 
"Your fluid volume is back to normal within 24 hours after you donate. 
Your white cell count returns to normal within 72 hours. 
An adult of average weight has about 10 to 12 pints of blood 
so the one taken is hardly missed."

New Jersey Requirements to Donate Blood
In general, eligible donors must be in good health. There are no upper age limits provided all health requirements are met:

• donors must weigh at least 120 pounds 
• 16-year-olds must have a consent form signed by parent or guardian
  
• donors must wait 8 weeks between blood donations 
  
  

Donation Deferrals 
Donors  will be deferred from giving blood if:

• they have had a teeth cleaning, fillings or x-rays within 24 hours 
  
• they have had tooth extraction, root canal or oral surgery within 72 hours
  
• they have a sore throat, productive cough or fever within 72 hours
  
• they have traveled to an area considered endemic to Malaria within the past 12 months 
  
• a full list of excluded procedures and medications can be found online here

"There is NO risk of contracting any disease 
through donating blood," the spokesperson added. 
"Each donor receives their own sterile blood bag and needle, 
which is used once, and then safely destroyed."

Donation Exclusions
Persons are not permitted to donate blood in New Jersey if they meet any of the following:

• donor has AIDS or one of its symptoms
  
• donor is at risk of getting or spreading the AIDS virus
  
• donor has visited England, Northern Ireland, Gibraltar, Scotland, Wales, Isle of Man, Channel Islands or Falkland Islands for a cumulative total of 3 months from Jan. 1, 1980 to Dec. 31, 1996 
  
• donor has visited Europe for a cumulative total of 5 years or more from 1980 to the present
  

Guidelines Before Donating Blood

• eat meals at usual times
  
• drink plenty of fluids, preferably non-caffeinated 

Post-Donation Blood Screening Tests
At the Blood Center, blood samples, drawn in separate tubes at the time of donation, undergo a visual screening for clotting or other abnormalities. In addition, each blood donation is subjected to the following tests:

• ABO grouping
  
• Rh typing
  
• syphilis
  
• irregular antibodies
  
• hepatitis B surface antigen and antibodies to hepatitis B core antigen
  
• HCV antibody testing for hepatitis C
  
• HTLV-1 and 2 antibody screening
  
• HIV -1 and 2 antibody screening

Further Information
First Presbyterian Church of Caldwell
Senior Pastor: Dr. Richard N. Sommers
326 Bloomfield Avenue
Caldwell, NJ 07006
973-228-0310
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