Photos: Shmulik Serebryanski, Menush Amit
Over 200 Orthodox Jewish men and women turned out in Crown Heights on Wednesday to donate plasma which can help save the lives of Coronavirus patients.
The plasma drive was organized by Ahavas Chesed and COVID Plasma Initiative, partnering with the New York Blood Center (NYBC), and was the first plasma drive to take place in the Crown Heights community.
“People really came out today,” Rabbi Avraham Lider of Ahavas Chesed told COLlive. “They came from all over – not only Crown Heights – traveling from Queens, Boro Park, and Williamsburg. It was a huge Kiddush Hashem.”
The COVID Plasma Initiative is a group in New York, founded by Mordy Serle, that consists of thousands of New York-based Orthodox Jews who have recovered from COVID-19 that are now donating their plasma.
They are holding daily plasma drives through this weekend, with the intent of flying the plasma to South Florida where there is a dire need for convalescent plasma donations with the current massive rise in COVID-19 positive cases.
They have already flown 200 units of plasma to Miami on a private plane this week, with the goal to send 600 units to South Florida by the end of the week, they said.
The University of Miami Health System and Jackson Memorial are among several South Florida hospitals that will receive this plasma, all being distributed through OneBlood. Each plasma donation can help treat four COVID-19 patients.
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Thank you everyone
I just came home after giving plasma. The machine that was taking my blood frequently beeped while I was donating the plasma and had the technician pressing keys to get it doing the job (I am not even sure what). At the end of it all, I gave the plasma, but they were unable to return my red blood cells to me. Being I am in the dark about this (I will read up on it now), I spoke up asking for a person of higher authority to check the machine since maybe it could happen to someone else and… Read more »
Sometimes people get light headed. Or even faint.
For red blood cells not to be restored to the donor during the plasma donation process or for the machine to malfunction. It’s important to have quality control to protect the safety of the donors who are giving to save lives. It will also ensure that more people will effectively give.
Hope they take note for the safety of the community. Feel better!
thanks for sharing!
I drove one hour each way to give Plasma today with rabbi Lider, it was very well organized, friendly and professional, a great kiddush Hashem that 200 Chasidic Jews in Crown Heights are helping save SIX HUNDRED LIVES in Texes.
Rabbi Lider Keep up the amazing work you are doing.
I plan to come in a few weeks when they do it the next time.