Sickle cell disease is the most common genetic disease in the U.S., affecting about 100,000 people—primarily Black or African Americans. The disease causes red blood cells to be stiff and sickle shaped, sometimes blocking small blood vessels as they carry oxygen throughout the body and producing symptoms including extreme pain, acute anemia, tissue and organ damage, and even strokes. Though there is no readily available cure, frequent blood transfusions—as many as 10 units every month—help reduce these symptoms.
Every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs lifesaving blood. For people like Quinn Peake, the demand for blood is constant, as regular transfusions are a vital part of managing her sickle cell disease.
“I can tell [when I need a transfusion] because my energy is low. I am most likely not going to get transfused immediately. It will likely be a day or 2 later while they try to find a match. With the antigens in my body, [the blood will] need to be closely compatible.”
For 41-year-old Quinn, regular blood transfusions help keep her sickle cell complications at bay and have allowed her the opportunity to share her story and advocate for the need for blood.
