Most often, blood donation does not harm the human body. Some people believe that regular blood donation is even beneficial. New York is a big city that regularly needs a constant and inexhaustible supply of donated blood. In 2020, when COVID-19 was raging in the city, doctors faced an acute blood shortage for the first time. This situation can cost someone’s life. This requires regular replenishment of the blood bank.
Brooklynites don’t have to leave their borough to become a donor. Learn more at i-brooklyn.
Where to go
The New York Blood Center is not a commercial blood bank. It was founded in 1964. This decision greatly simplified the process of collecting, storing and redistributing blood supplies. For the comfort of donors, each borough has its own blood bank branch.
A Brooklyn donor center is at 30 Flatbush Ave. To visit the center and donate blood, you must make an appointment in advance. This measure was introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic. An appointment avoids queues, large crowds and saves donors’ time.
The exact number and map can be found on the Blood Center’s website. It will be easy to find even for visitors. Flatbush Avenue is the main street of Brooklyn. It stretches from the Manhattan Bridge to Jamaica Bay. The easiest way to get there is by taxi. The subway will also be appropriate, the stop is Brooklyn College Station.
But it has not always been so easy for Brooklynites to donate blood. In 2017, the borough closed its donor center. When the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, everyone regretted this decision. For a while, blood was donated in a converted store at 309 Atlantic Avenue in Boerum Hill. This is what led to the opening of the new donor center in Brooklyn.
It is not uncommon to find offers on the Internet to make some money by donating blood. This is offered by private clinics and laboratories. One of them is at 1104 Fulton Street.
The regional branches of the main center do not differ from each other in terms of equipment. All of them are comfortable and modern for sampling blood, platelets, red blood cells and plasma.
There is no unnecessary blood type. The rarest is considered to be group 4 with a negative rhesus. In general, only 6% of the world’s population has the fourth blood type, while the first group is in 40% of the population. The need for the first group is more common. Its donation is needed just as much as the fourth.
How to become a donor
The Brooklyn center operates in the same way as all other centers in the world. Here you can donate a pint of blood or individual elements. Your blood type, its condition and the needs of the blood center will determine what you donate.
The donation process itself will take one hour. This includes registration and refreshments after the procedure. You can repeat it only in 56 days.
There are no requirements for blood donors as such. But there are requirements for component donors in terms of height and body weight. The most valuable donors for blood components are AB-negative donors. Components can be donated after 112 days, as their recovery is more difficult.
Platelets can be donated most often, up to 24 times a year.
Each blood component is valuable in a specific case. For example, blood plasma is valuable in accidents and burns. You can donate plasma once every 28 days.
Blood banks regularly supply hospitals with the required amount of biological material. However, every person can donate blood before surgery. There is a different mechanism of collection. It helps to minimize the risks associated with donor blood transfusion.
Any Brooklynite can become a blood donor from the age of 17 to 76. During this period, there are no height or weight restrictions. But if you are younger or older, there are strict guidelines. For donation at the age of 16, parental permission is required.
The same applies to diseases. The Brooklyn center’s website has a complete list of diseases that make you ineligible to donate blood. It is better to familiarize yourself with this list in advance so as not to waste the time of medical staff.