The following letter, from Dr. Julie Ann Juliano in Branchburg, tells the whole story. Please call me at (908) 334-2329 or chip.hughes@att.net if you would like more info, want to volunteer or wish to make a donation:

You are in a major auto accident and rushed to the hospital. You are having surgery. You are elderly and severely anemic, you have a blood cancer or are undergoing chemotherapy. Or…you need a blood transfusion, platelet transfusion, or plasma transfusion. You never think to worry about it; the blood and blood products will be there when you need them…or will they? The pool of available blood donors grows smaller each day. To keep the blood supply safe, fewer and fewer people are eligible to give. Those that do give can only give once every 6 weeks. What if you need blood, and it is not there?

Blood donation and blood banking are a very vital part of medical care. It is not something we often think about, but when you need it, you don’t want to hear that the blood “will be here in a few hours” after it is driven from another location. When you or your family member need a transfusion, you don’t want to wait or hear that there is a shortage. Until now, Somerset Medical Center has been able to keep up with the blood supply needs of its patients. With the addition of the new Cancer Center, the need for blood and blood products will greatly increase. The question is how to best do this.

The Rotary Club of Branchburg has taken a long look at this subject along with the blood bank at the hospital. The best answer is called a TRIMA Accel Collection System machine. This machine will allow the specific donation of red cells, platelets or plasma. This will allow for donors to give far more often and will keep the blood supply flowing at the hospital. The Rotary is always looking for local and international projects to help the community. In the past we built the playground in White Oak Park, and last year we constructed the Challenger Baseball Field next to Old York School. This year we are looking to serve the larger community of Somerset County with the purchase of this vital machine.

While the hospital is building its new facilities it is not financially able to upgrade in some areas, although it would greatly benefit the hospital and the patients. That is where Rotary comes in- helping in the community – for the good of all concerned. The cost of this machine is $85,000. We are appealing to the general community to help us in our fundraising efforts to purchase this machine for the hospital, for the common good.

Blood is life. Blood is lifesaving. Healthy blood is hard to find, and the demand keeps growing. Help us to help you. Help us to keep the supply safe and abundant at our local hospital. Your support has always been appreciated in the past, and we are looking to you again. Together we can, and do, make a difference.

Sincerely,

Julie Ann S. Juliano, MD