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| 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
