1 of 3 Black donors are likely a match to help someone with Sickle Cell Disease
Blood donations are always necessary, but September is National Sickle Cell Awareness Month, and the American Red Cross has issued a specific plea to the African American community to step up and donate.
The Red Cross reports that one of every three Black donors are likely a match for someone who suffers from Sickle Cell Disease.
Sickle cell is the most common inherited blood disorder and affects more than 100,000 Americans. Regular blood transfusions are critical to managing extreme pain and life-threatening complications many people with Sickle Cell Disease face, and blood donations are necessary to help this community.
Sickle Cell Disease can affect other ethnic groups but is most common among people of African descent. People who inherit sickle cell have abnormal hemoglobin, the protein in red cells that carries oxygen. This abnormal hemoglobin links together, changing the shape of the red blood cells into a curved sickle that can block blood flow throughout the body.
However, because most individuals who are Black have unique structures on their red blood cells that are not often found in other donor populations, one in three African American blood donors is a match for people with sickle cell disease, according to the release.
Seasonal changes can trigger pain crises for those battling sickle cell – possibly increasing the need for lifesaving blood transfusions.
As summer ends, book a time to give blood by using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org or by calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).
As a thank-you, all who come to give through Sept. 18 will get an exclusive Red Cross T-shirt, while supplies last.
Fewer life-saving blood donations weren’t the only complication people with Sickle Cell Disease faced during the pandemic. Sickle Cell Disease-related death rates increased 12% in 2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported in a recently released study. The study found that SCD-related death rates were stable from 2014 through 2019, but dramatically increased in 2020 when 1,023 deaths were reported in the United States.
Most of the reported Sickle Cell-related deaths were among young people ages 25 to 29 years old, and some were related to COVID-19.
The Red Cross can be reached at 1-800-Red-Cross. You can also reach them through their website and even their mobile app. Donating blood only takes an hour of your time and can save as many as three lives through the red cells, platelets, and plasma that are given.
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