COVID-19 Drives Board Member to Donate Blood After 30-Year Hiatus

WNY Chapter Board Member, Mark Meyerhofer,
donating blood at the Union Road Donation Center
in Cheektowaga in June 2020

Mark Meyerhofer, a Board Member with the American Red Cross, Western New York Chapter, donated blood last month for the first time since he was in high school. He was understandably hesitant throughout the years after fainting the last time around. Now, just over 30 years later, he decided to give it another shot. 

The Red Cross has an urgent need for blood donations to prevent another blood shortage as hospitals resume surgical procedures and patient treatments that were temporarily paused earlier this spring in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Blood drives continue to be canceled as many businesses and community organizations remain closed, but locations still welcoming donors are taking extensive precautions to help minimize the possibility of exposure and keep donors safe. In other words, there is no better time than now to take action, and Meyerhofer answered the call. 

“Right away, they put you at ease,” said Meyerhofer. “The door is locked when you arrive, someone comes out to escort you, they check your temperature at the door and again when you are doing your screening. They went above and beyond and I want to stress that.”

Each Red Cross blood drive and donation center follows the highest standards of safety and infection control. To ensure the health of staff and donors, precautions include:

• Checking temperatures of staff and donors before entering a drive to make sure they are healthy. 
• Providing hand sanitizer for use before entering the drives, as well as throughout the donation process.
• Following social distancing between donors including entry, donation and refreshment areas.
• Ensuring face masks or coverings are worn by both staff and donors.
• Routinely disinfecting surfaces, equipment and donor-touched areas.

While tens of thousands of donors gave blood in response to an initial blood shortage caused by this coronavirus outbreak, it’s important to remember that red blood cells must be transfused within 42 days of donation and platelets within just five days, so they must constantly be replenished.

In retrospect, Meyerhofer decided to donate at the perfect time. 

“By the time I went to donate, we were at the point of elective surgeries restarting and of course you need blood supply for that,” said Meyerhofer. 

And this time, things went much smoother as his fears of fainting subsided. 

“I am happy to do it, and it was a good experience. I already signed up for my next appointment in August!”

Meyerhofer has held a position on the Red Cross WNY Chapter Board since the fall of 2019. He currently works at Charter Communications in Buffalo, NY as the director of government relations. He began collaborating with the Red Cross when Charter Communications sponsored the Red Cross’ annual Sound the Alarm event in early 2018.

Meyerhofer’s reasons for accepting the board position and donating again go beyond the ramifications of COVID-19. Supporting those who serve in the U.S. Armed Forces has always been part of the mission of the Red Cross, and that resonated with Meyerhofer. 

“My father, who passed away almost a year ago, served in the Korean War and he had always talked about his affinity for the Red Cross because they had helped him when he was deployed and needed to get back home to his father who had fallen ill,” said Meyerhofer. “My dad had said all of his life that he would continue to give to the Red Cross until his dying days in return for what they did for him. It was always near and dear to him, therefore there had always been that personal connection for me.”

Meyerhofer encourages anyone who is considering donating, or like himself, has not donated in a long time, to start the conversation and hear others’ experiences. 

“It’s about finding a way to help out and give back,” said Meyerhofer. “I love that you are able to track exactly where your blood goes through the app, it makes it even more rewarding.”

You can download the Red Cross Blood Donor App today and schedule an appointment. As a humanitarian organization, we are committed to helping others in meaningful ways during this pandemic. The Red Cross is testing all blood, platelet and plasma donations for COVID-19 antibodies to provide donors insight into whether they may have been exposed to this coronavirus. To learn more, visit www.redcrossblood.org.

Story by: Nicole Mauro, American Red Cross

Communications Volunteer