More black blood donors needed for sickle cell disease
This Black History Month, the American Red Cross is encouraging black people to donate blood.
COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO) – This Black History Month, the American Red Cross is encouraging black people to donate blood.
Out of the 100,000 people living with sickle cell disease most are black, according to the American Red Cross.
“Yesterday my son was perfectly fine. He was laughing and joking spending time with our family and today he is in excruciating pain,” says Vesha Jamison.
12-year-old Dreylan Holmes is experiencing a sickle cell pain crisis and is in the hospital. His mother, Vesha Jamison says sickle cell disease is a blood disorder of the red blood cells where instead of making round soft blood cells that flow easily through the bloodstream, patients with sickle cell produce harden sticky crest shape cells that does not flow easily and cause pain. Her son’s treatments just like other patients often depend on blood donors.
“He’s thinking is it going to be like this for the rest of my life, am I going to be in pain everyday forever? So, it does get challenging as a mom to watch your child go through that and experience those emotional rollercoasters,” says Jamison.
Dreylans’ diagnosis lead her to work for the American Red Cross as the S.C. Region Red Cross Sickle Cell Account Manager. This Black History Month she is hoping black blood donors will see the critical role they play.
“We make up less than 4% of our donor population and that’s something we really need to increase. During Black History Month the Red Cross actually coins a theme ‘black excellence is in our blood’. Your most compatible match is going to come from someone from the same race or ethnicity. Sickle Cell predominately impacts our African American communities and so we look for our most compatible match,“ says Jamison.
If you or someone you know would like to donate blood, please click here.
