LifeSouth Seeks Blood Donors For National Sickle Cell Disease Awareness Month

From The JAX Chamber:

September 14, 2020

September is Sickle Cell Awareness Month, and LifeSouth Community Blood Centers is seeking Sickle Cell Heroes to support local sickle cell disease (SCD) patients.

SCD is a genetic blood disorder that is named for the thin, crescent-shaped red blood cells that face more difficulty passing through blood vessels than healthy, disc-shaped red blood cells. Patients with SCD may experience symptoms such as chronic fatigue, recurrent episodes of extreme pain, breathlessness and increased risk of complications such as stroke, liver disease and delayed growth.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, SCD affects approximately 100,000 Americans; it is present in an estimated one in every 365 Black or African-American children born in the United States, and one out of 16,300 Hispanic-American children. LifeSouth’s 365 Movement focuses on raising awareness for the need of Black or African-American donors, and other donors with rare blood types to help patients who need specially matched blood for transfusions 365 days a year. “A safe and stable blood supply is essential to ensure patients living with chronic illnesses like sickle cell disease receive the best care,” said Angie Byrd, District Director of LifeSouth Community Blood Centers. “The need for Sickle Cell Heroes is even greater this year, as our local blood supply has been impacted by cancelled blood drives at schools and businesses due to the coronavirus pandemic. All eligible donors are encouraged to visit our Northeast Florida donor centers to learn more about our 365 Movement.”

People living with SCD often need blood transfusions to increase the amount of healthy red blood cells in their bloodstream and lessen the effects of the sickle-shaped cells. LifeSouth works with local hospitals, such as Baptist Medical Center Beaches, Baptist Medical Center Jacksonville, Baptist Medical Center Nassau, Baptist Medical Center South, Memorial Hospital, Orange Park Medical Center and Wolfson Children’s Hospital, to match SCD patients with Sickle Cell Heroes: donors whose red blood cells are precisely matched to reduce complications from blood transfusions. The best matches are likely to be found within a patient’s own ethnic group.

Support Sickle Cell Awareness month in these ways:

• Join the 365 Movement by scheduling regular blood drives to help individuals who could be a potential match for a SCD patient.

• Visit a LifeSouth donor center or blood drive to donate blood. LifeSouth will test each donation to identify potential Sickle Cell Heroes.

• Donate as often as you can if your identified blood antigen profile is a match. If you are identified as a Sickle Cell Hero, your donations will help a local patient living with SCD.

• Join the Be The Match Registry. There is no universal cure for SCD, but some patients may qualify for a bone marrow transplant.

LifeSouth can assist local donors who are interested in being potential bone marrow or cord blood donors for patients in need, including those living with SCD. To learn more, visit LifeSouth.org/SickleCell. Donors must be at least 17 or 16 with parental permission, weigh a minimum of 110 pounds and be in good health. A photo ID is also needed. LifeSouth’s donor centers in Jacksonville are located at 7840 Baymeadows Way and 800 Prudential Drive (inside Baptist Medical Center Jacksonville). For additional information, including upcoming blood drives, call LifeSouth toll-free at 888-795-2707 or visit www.lifesouth.org.

This press release was produced by The JAX Chamber. The views expressed here are the author’s own.