By: Nick Buglione
Then again, Veneroni is not your average donor.
A Nassau University Medical Center employee for the past 32 years, Veneroni has donated a pint of his blood to the hospital's Blood Donor Center six times a year for approximately 15 years now.
He recently donated his 80th pint of blood. That's a total of 10 gallons of blood, a mark even the most dedicated donors seldom reach, according to nurse Janet St. John, of the NUMC Blood Donor Center.
"It's very unusual for people to donate 10 gallons, because it takes a lot of commitment to do that," St. John said. "He never forgets to donate."
Center regulations specify that a single donor can only give blood every 56 days, and like clockwork, Veneroni always pops in when he's eligible to donate again.
As a clinical technician in NUMC's operating room, Veneroni knows first-hand how much hospitals rely on donated blood. "I see people all the time who need to receive blood," said Veneroni, 52, of Carle Place.
Still, he said he began religiously giving blood for another reason. "I donated sporadically from time to time, and one day I gave blood and I got a letter telling me that my blood was 0 positive and CMV negative," he said.
Those with O positive blood are known as universal donors, meaning all four blood types can receive their blood. It's an extremely useful blood type, especially in emergency situations, where it can be administered to patients quickly without cross matching.
CMV is known as the cytomegalovirus, a common virus found in nearly half the population. Most people who have the virus never know it and for the average healthy person, it doesn't pose a problem. For patients whose immune systems are not functioning properly, premature babies for instance, CMV can be very dangerous. Since Veneroni's blood is CMV negative, NUMC's neonatal unit has great use for it.
"Knowing it was for the newborns, it was an impetus to come down and donate," he said. "It's not a big deal. It doesn't hurt and it only takes a few minutes."
Always toiling with blood shortages, the hospital's blood center is eager to accept donors, St. John said. "We're a level-1 trauma center, so we need blood that's fresh, that's why need frequent donors," she said, noting that stored blood goes bad after 35 days. "Having a constant, fresh blood supply is something we depend on."
Unfortunately, only three percent of the population regularly gives blood, St. John said. "[As far as donors go] John is very unusual, and he just keeps coming," St. John said.
Veneroni admits, however, that when he started giving blood he never thought he'd ever approach the 10-gallon mark. "I didn't start out with a goal," he said. "It wasn't until I hit 50 or 60 donations that I said 'I could hit 10 gallons.'"
Veneroni reports that he's never felt woozy or suffered from any physical side effects from giving blood. "I use it as an excuse to take a nap when I get home from work that day," he said.
And in a few weeks, he'll be right back in the center to donate. "I'll just keep doing it," he said. "I don't know if I'll reach another 10 gallons."
Blood donors must be between 17 and 76 years old, weigh at least 110 pounds and be in good health. Anyone interested in donating to the NUMC Blood Donor Center should call (516) 572-6348.
Comments about this story? NBuglione@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 236.
