COVID Blood Drive

PHOTOS BY SHALOM KORN

Blood drives held in hopes of helping COVID-19 patients. How to Save a Life

On May 3, 220 individuals waited their turn to be part of a five-hourlong momentous blood drive in hopes of being eligible to donate plasma to help those suffering from COVID-19.

Hatzalah of Michigan-Emergency Medical Services, in partnership with the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., held the drive to identify those whose blood shows antibody levels high enough to allow them to donate plasma for scientific trials and treatment of individuals who have the virus.

The drive, which took place in an outdoor, tented area at Yeshiva Beth Yehudah in Oak Park, was so well-attended, a second one was scheduled for Sunday, May 10.

Ensuring social distancing, potential donors remained in their cars until called, with testers maintaining minimal contact.

Volunteer medics from the Oak Parkbased Hatzalah, along with area doctors and nurses, drew blood at the May 3rd drive. The Convalescent Plasma Drive was organized by Hatzalah, in conjunction with Lev Rochel Bikur Cholim of Lakewood, N.J., with the assistance of Dr. Nigel Paneth, a professor of epidemiology, biostatistics and pediatrics at Michigan State University and part of the leadership of the National COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma Project.

The drive was sponsored by TCF Bank in collaboration with Hatzalah nationwide, Ascension Providence Hospital in Southfield and the American Red Cross, with support from the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit. SHELLI LIEBMAN DORFMAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

TOP: Tents and volunteers are ready for donors. BOTTOM: A volunteer gets ready to draw blood from a donor.

BLOOD TESTING

Blood drawn was sent to the Mayo Clinic to be tested. Names of those whose tests show probable useful antibodies will be shared with Hatzalah, whose staff will work with Ascension to direct donors to blood banks and help with screening and registration.

The process of harvesting — or removing — the plasma from the blood takes place at the blood banks. “It begins with a standard blood draw,” according to Hatzalah’s volunteer director, Dr. Steve McGraw, who is medical director of Oakland County Medical Control Authority and Emergency Department Chief at Providence Hospital. He and blood drive volunteer, hematologist and oncologist Dr. Daniel Lebovic oversaw the outdoor testing site.

“The blood is then run through a machine that extracts the plasma,” McGraw said. “Then all blood components, minus the plasma, are returned to the donor along with a saline solution that replaces the plasma that was removed.” Each session supplies enough plasma to benefit three patients and donations may be made every seven days.

Hatzalah’s volunteer-based units are present in Orthodox communities throughout the country, providing rapid response to medical emergencies, life support and medical

A donor is prepared for a blood draw.

ways. Locally, much of it is quieter, like Detroit Chesed Project — whose volunteers provide programs like respite for families with children with special needs and school lunches for families in crisis — and Detroit Chaverim — who offer non-emergency volunteer help, like fixing flat tires — who provided traffic control for the blood drive. But it is something we do all the time. This one just happens to be a loud, vocal one.”

The blood testing was held as part of the Yitzchok Lebovits COVID Plasma Initiative

“This is yet another demonstration of how volunteers can impact communities in the most meaningful of ways.”

— GARY TORGOW

attention, augmenting existing emergency medical services with community-based state-certified EMT volunteer responders.

“The community EMS work that Hatzalah does saves lives daily,” said Gary Torgow, chairman of TCF Financial Corporation, in a press release. “This is yet another demonstration of how volunteers can impact communities in the most meaningful of ways.”

VOLUNTEER CORP

Volunteer and drive organizer Nachy Soloff of Southfield said, “So many people within the Orthodox community really care about helping in so many Foundation, a grassroots effort formed in New York early April with a mission of making convalescent COVID-19 plasma accessible to as many patients as possible by recruiting donors. With the support of the Orthodox Union and Agudath Israel of America, they also assist blood banks with donor screening and scheduling and facilitate partnerships between hospitals and blood banks.

“Many of us know someone who has been affected by the virus and we feel so powerless,” Soloff said. “People who came out to the drive did so because of a sense of knowing that this could be their way to have the potential to help.”

Is That a Jaguar on Your Porch?

FJA’s head of school surprises graduates.

In an effort to maintain the sense of the community during virtual learning, Rabbi Azaryah Cohen, Frankel Jewish Academy head of school, is supporting graduating seniors by dropping off lawn signs dressed up as the school’s mascot.

With the help of Seth Korelitz, FJA director of Jewish Studies, and Randall Gawel, FJA’s principal, Cohen suited up as the Jag, FJA’s jaguar mascot, and began delivering personalized lawn signs on April 30.

Through FJA’s campaign, families of the 34 graduating seniors had the opportunity to order personalized senior signs congratulating their 2020 grads. Cohen has also been dropping off “Proud FJA Family” signs to anyone who would like one for their front lawns.

“Originally, people were going to pick up the signs because that was going to be the most convenient way to do it,” Cohen said. “But one of the things that is so difficult for our families and students is maintaining the sense of community. We pride ourselves on the community and the relationships we share with our students, so we thought, wouldn’t it be great to provide our students and families with a nice personal touch by dropping off their signs at their houses?”

They decided to begin doing the senior sign drop-offs on Thursday in the middle of the school day so seniors, with their classmates by their virtual side, would be able to experience this moment together.

“We thought, imagine the student coming to the door to check out what was going on and they happen to be in the middle of class,” Cohen said. “Not only is it exciting for the students, but it is exciting for their classmates as well.”

Cohen, who is no stranger to dressing up as the Jag, volunteered to wear the costume to most of the drop-offs to deliver that extra burst of joy to FJA students.

Adin Kleinfeldt, who resides in Huntington Woods, was one of the seniors who Cohen visited. While he knew that something like this was certainly coming, he said he was still surprised and appreciated the dedication the administration has toward their graduating seniors and families.

“Obviously for seniors, there are a lot of things we thought we would be able to do to finish off our high school careers, but unfortunately these are unprecedented times,” Kleinfeldt said. “But, it’s really nice that our teachers and administration have been going that extra mile and trying to do their best with the circumstances to make sure we have a good ending to our senior year.” CORRIE COLF STAFF WRITER COURTESY OF NANCY KLEINFELDT FJA Head of School Rabbi Azaryah Cohen dropped off signs to seniors dressed as the Jag.