Shelter Island blood drive set for July 19

Organizers of Shelter Island’s summer blood drive are hoping that by dedicating it to Joan Tehan, residents will be motivated to show up at the Community Center so she continues to receive the monthly plasma infusions she needs.

Ms. Tehan battles polyneuropathy, a disease affecting nerves in her hands and feet that cause pain, numbness and weakness.

The blood drives takes place between noon and 6 p.m. on July 19.

Blood donations tend to wane in summer months at the very time when increased need escalates on the East End with the rise of populations in the area, Jennifer Pisano, account manager of donor recruitment for the New York Blood Center, told the Town Board last week.

There was a noticeable  decline in blood donations following the Memorial Day weekend, and at the time of Ms. Pisano’s meeting with the Town Board July 2, she expressed concern that could be the case again following the July 4 holiday weekend.

Seasonal travel, school breaks and a rise in traumatic accidents during the summer months often strain the blood supply and lead to shortages, Ms. Pisano said.

Blood donors can give every 56 days, and platelet donors can give twice per month, Ms. Pisano said. It only takes one hour to donate, and a single donation can save multiple lives, she said.

Roughly one in seven hospital admissions require a blood transfusion, and those in need include cancer patients, accident, burn, or trauma victims, newborn babies and their mothers, transplant recipients and surgery patients.

Also dependent on transfusions are patients suffering from diseases such as sickle cell or thalassemia, an inherited illness that provides patients with less hemoglobin than necessary to enable red blood cells to carry oxygen. The disease can cause anemia and result in patients feeling fatigued.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently lifted eligibility restrictions for individuals who lived in Europe during certain periods of time, but she noted that because eligibility guidelines change regularly, anyone concerned about whether they can be a blood donor should call the New York Blood Center at 800-688-0900.

To schedule an appointment to donate blood, call 800-933-2566 or visit  nybc.org. For those who can’t donate blood, you can support the efforts of the New York Blood Center by texting 20222 to give $25.

A second incentive to donors on July 19 at the Community Center comes from Shelter Island Slice, offering certificates for a free pizza slice.