This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Community Corner

Decline Seen in Blood Donations

After swells of donations in wake of Hurricane Irene, blood supply tightens.

According to the New York Blood Center, Long Island is in need of a blood transfusion; a large one.

“We had blood drives that were really huge, but now they’re not as huge anymore.” blood donor specialist Karen Masino said during a donation drive at the . “Everyone is just in a rush today; more than they used to.”

Only about 25 people donated their blood during the event at the library Wednesday and blood drive workers say that despite an , the number of donors keeps getting smaller.

Find out what's happening in Mineolawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“The donors are getting older,” Mineola resident Karen Winski said. “It’s important (to donate) because we have a huge shortage of blood.”

The trend is manifesting itself across Long Island, with the estimated supply for both Nassau and Suffolk combined worth at the end of August.

Find out what's happening in Mineolawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Winski donates blood twice a year and feels that the younger generation needs to “step up.”

“It costs nothing to give blood and it’s the best gift you can give,” she said. “You could save a life with just a pint of blood.”

For Masino, her attitude towards blood donations is incredibly personal because her 5 year old daughter receives blood transfusions every week to help her immune system.

“These people are good because they’re saving lives. It’s a big deal donating blood,” she said referring to the donors.

Approximately one of every three people will need a blood product during their lifetime and while more than 60 percent of the adult population are medically eligible to give blood, only 2 percent of local residence do so each year according to the New York Blood Center.

Winski attends the local drives in the community because they let her know whenever her blood has been used.

“I got a few emails that said my blood was used to save a life today,” she said. “E-mails definitely encourage you to give more blood.”

Donor specialist Mario Paredes has been working with the New York Blood Services for about 7 years and noticed that the number of drive center units he visits has also been on the decline. Some have been cut because they no longer have the space or the people to donate.

“We depend on the community a lot,” said Paredes, who first began donating blood in high school. “We’re happy to get whatever we could get; anything helps, but we always look forward to seeing more people. It’s about help; we’re supposed to help each other.”

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?