West Essex First Aid Squad Hosting Blood Drive Today to Assist with Severe Blood Shortage

by Carolyne Volpe Curley / Carolyne@WestEssexNOW.com
Published 6:10am

WEST CALDWELL, NJ - The West Essex First Aid Squad will be hosting a Blood Drive Wednesday, Aug. 13, from 3pm to 8pm at the squad house. All registered donors will be entered to win one of four $250 Visa Gift Cards. The squad house is located at 642 Bloomfield Avenue, West Caldwell.  

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.

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"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

"Our current blood supply is critically low
and we need everyone's help on Wednesday,"
said West Essex First Aid Squad Captain David Black.
"Patients need this blood now.
We truly hope people step-up to donate blood and be a community hero.
None of us know who is going to need it next."  

Further Information
West Essex First Aid Squad
President: George Carnrick, Jr
Captain: David Black
642 Bloomfield Avenue
West Caldwell, NJ 07006
973-403-8568
Website 

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