Bikur Cholim receives calls from patients or their families in Rockland, Westchester and Orange Counties, Northern New Jersey and New York City requesting directed donor blood for patients in need of transfusions.

Many patients feel more comfortable receiving blood products from a known source. With this in mind volunteer blood donors are ready to meet these requests at a moments notice.

A call for blood may come any time, night or day. Although directed blood cannot be provided for emergency transfusions (up to a seven days may be required for processing of blood products), a patient undergoing scheduled surgery or chemotherapy can receive the necessary blood from donors who would direct their blood or platelet donations to the patient in need.

Upon receiving the call requesting a directed donation, the coordinator sets in motion all the necessary steps for the donation to be made. Since each hospital has different requirements, the steps might differ for each patient. Hospitals, blood banks and donors must be contacted to set up patient files and schedule donor appointments. Often in long term cases the same donors are used repeatedly thus creating an intangible yet inspiring bond between patient and donor.