Last Wednesday, New York Blood Center (NYBC) hosted a special event at the Great South Bay Brewery on Long Island to recognize and honor O-negative blood donors. This event was particularly notable as the first of its kind on Long Island, celebrating the vital role of O-negative donors, who are crucial to emergency and trauma care due to their universal donor status. The brewery was chosen as the venue in recognition of its ongoing support through NYBC’s “Pint for a Pint” blood drive initiative.
Michele Lariviere, Senior Director of Donor Recruitment at NYBC, kicked off the evening by thanking the attendees for their life-saving contributions. Michele shared that NYBC is celebrating 60 years of pioneering work in blood donation and emphasized how essential O-negative donors are to maintaining a stable blood supply. She also touched on blood shortages, exacerbated by the pandemic, and the increased need for O-negative donations.
One of the key moments of the evening was the speech by Jaime Singh, a Long Island resident and healthcare worker. Jaime’s story resonated deeply with the audience as she shared her experience of being both an O-negative donor and a recipient. After a routine surgery in 2021 led to severe complications and significant blood loss, Jaime required multiple blood transfusions, including 13 units of whole blood, 11 units of plasma, and 9 units of platelets. Her story illustrated the lifesaving impact that blood donations can have, not just on strangers, but potentially on anyone—including the donors themselves.
Collectively, the donors in attendance had made more than 3,700 donations, with 25 donors being recognized for reaching the significant milestone of 50 or more lifetime donations. Michele emphasized the critical nature of maintaining a strong supply of O-negative blood, particularly as shortages persist both locally and nationally.
The evening was a meaningful celebration of the power of blood donation, as well as a call to action for the continued support of this life-saving work.
