PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. -
A rare feat in Plattsburgh Friday morning. Mike MacKenzie of Point Au Roche made his 100th apheresis blood donation. It's something he has spent 2,000 hours doing since 1994.
It is the first time any donor has made such a donation at the North Country Regional Blood Center. This is different from a typical blood donation because it separates the blood into individual components. The process takes two hours, which is three to four times longer than a typical blood donation. Regular blood is just too heavy for certain medical procedures.
"We have cancer patients that need it with low counts, we have heart patients that need it to prevent them from bleeding, traumas that come in, and sometimes chronic issues, like an ulcer, this helps them clot their blood," said Hope Costin of the North Country Regional Blood Center.
"You save lives by doing it and it helps people who really need it. You always hear about shortages in the blood banks or platelets and it help keeps the count up and save lives," MacKenzie said.
Blood taken through the apheresis process only has a shelf life of five days. Regular blood is good for 56 days.
