Sickle Cell Disease
Be the motivation for blood donation
What is Sickle Cell Disease?
Sickle Cell Disease is a group of inherited red blood cell disorders. Healthy red cells are round. Their job is to carry oxygen throughout the body. In people with Sickle Cell Disease, the red blood cells are sickle shaped and become hard and sticky. In the United States, Sickle Cell Disease predominately affects Black Americans.
How does this affect someone?
The sickle cells die sooner than normal healthy red cells would. This causes a constant shortage of red blood cells. When they flow through small blood vessels, they can get stuck and clog. This can cause pain and other serious problems such as infection, acute chest syndrome and stroke.
Why is it important for donors who are Black to give blood?
Ensuring the diversity and availability of the blood supply is essential to treating Sickle Cell patients. Many Sickle Cell patients require frequent blood transfusions sometimes even once or twice a month. These transfusions help add more healthy, normal shaped red cells into their blood.
Blood is blood right?
No. Blood from a donor who is Black to another Black recipient is more likely to match. This can mean fewer health problems for the recipient. Many recipients, such as those with sickle cell, struggle to find matches that are genetically similar and have to wait until a suitable donor can be found.
Be the motivation for blood donation. We need your help.
Donated blood saves the lives of Sickle Cell patients every day! We need members of our community to encourage donors who are Black to ensure we have blood that matches our Sickle Cell patients in need. Motivate your community to save lives by giving blood.
Less than 1% of blood donations come from donors who are Black.
If you have a family member struggling with sickle cell, you've probably asked yourself "How can I help?"
The best way to help Sickle Cell patients is to encourage blood donation in your community. Sickle Cell patients need donors who are Black every day. Schedule your appointment to give.
Need an information sheet to share? Download one here.
This is Autumn and she is 12 years old and has had sickle cell since she was born. She is hospitalized yearly and requires several blood products each time. Her mom said, “If it weren’t for the blood she receives, I don’t know if she would be here today.”
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