Lev Rochel Bikur Cholim of Lakewood held a wildly successful plasma testing drive on Sunday, administering a whopping 1,000 plasma tests at a carefully arranged testing site outside Blue Claws Stadium. 

Lakewood Bikur Cholim has emerged as a trailblazer, becoming the first organization of its kind to arrange such testing after leading medical experts expressed that recovered COVID-19 patient blood plasma can save lives.

Those who underwent the testing were required to have previously had genuine symptoms, be completely symptom-free for at least a week, and be willing to donate blood.

“This drive,” said one donor, a father of 4, “gave us an opportunity to join other COVID-19 survivors in mobilizing to fight COVID-19.”

The blood of those who had COVID-19 and recovered most likely contains antibodies that are able to attack the COVID-19 virus. Thus, plasma, a component of one’s blood that contains antibodies, can be used to treat COVID-19 patients and has been proven to give them a better chance of fighting off the virus. 

Thanks to the round-the-clock efforts of Bikur Cholim Director Rabbi Yehuda Kaszirer, Bikur Cholim staff members Raizy Werner and Leeba Lederer, and PD Lapidus, the event was put into place in under twenty hours. 

The plasma kits were provided by the Mayo Clinic, one of the world’s premier medical institutions and flown back to them in Rochester MN,  at 5 am this morning.

The massive outdoor testing site was run by world-class doctors, nurses and medics, with proper social distancing and the highest safety measures employed throughout the event.

Bikur Cholim of Lakewood, which is New Jersey’s most prominent multi-faceted chesed and life-saving organization, has emerged as the leading purveyor of plasma testing, not just in the Garden State, but far beyond, moving convalescent plasma treatment forward in order to ensure that there is sufficient supply for all COVID-19 patients, no matter their background or creed.

Bikur Cholim has devoted many years to building strong relationships with renowned hospitals, including the Mayo Clinic, in addition to operating Bikur Cholim houses in many locations. These medical institutions are very grateful to Bikur Cholim for its unparalleled work and are thus eager to partner in this tremendous lifesaving project. 

In addition, lead researchers in the plasma program have turned to Bikur Cholim of Lakewood for its assistance in making plasma available to one and all, as Bikur Cholim assists some of the nation’s largest blood banks and labs in ramping up their systems to support all donors and to streamline the results.

“Observing the smooth running operation and the scope of this undertaking, one would have thought that this involved weeks of preparation,” one of the medics present remarked. “It’s absolutely extraordinary.”  

Bikur Cholim expressed its gratitude to the group volunteers who were mobilized to help carry out the testing. Likewise, the organization thanked the Lakewood Police Department and the others for directing the participants and ensuring the safety of everyone involved. 

“The most heartfelt thanks,” said Rabbi Kaszirer, “are due to the greater Lakewood community, whose residents showed their genuine care and concern, coming out in such a strong fashion for one purpose only: to help other people.”

To assist LRBC in their life saving work, please donate here: https://www.rayze.it/BikurCholimCorona/