This week, you have an opportunity to donate blood and honor the memory of Danyel Pitts – a kind, honest and caring woman who passed away from breast cancer in January 2020.
Danyel was a devoted wife, friend and beloved track coach at Springfield Southeast High School. During her battle with cancer, she received blood transfusions while undergoing chemotherapy.
Danyel’s husband, Calvin Pitts serves as a board member for the American Red Cross South Central Illinois Chapter. Calvin understands the importance of diverse donors to help those battling illnesses, and he invites you to donate blood and help save lives in Danyel’s memory.
Friday, April 22 | Noon to 6 p.m.
NAACP Office Building Chapter Room
801 S 11th St
Springfield, IL 62703
Blood donors who are Black play a critical role in helping people with sickle cell disease, the most common genetic blood disease in the U.S. Patients with the disease may rely on regular blood transfusions throughout their lives to help prevent sickle cell complications, such as organ and tissue damage, severe pain, and strokes.
Make an appointment to give blood or platelets by using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting redcrossblood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767). Each Red Cross blood drive and donation center follows the highest standards of safety and infection control. Donors are asked to schedule an appointment prior to arriving at the drive.
Individuals who come to give blood April 19-May 19 will receive a $10 e-gift card to a merchant of choice and will be entered to win a new travel trailer camper, courtesy of Suburban Propane.
Antibody Testing
The American Red Cross is testing all donations for COVID-19 antibodies for a limited time. Results may indicate an antibody response after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine or possible past exposure to this coronavirus – and may identify donations with antibody levels necessary to potentially help COVID-19 patients with a weakened immune system. The results of your antibody test will be available by logging in to your blood donor account on the Blood Donor App or at redcrossblood.org within one to two weeks after your donation.
Sickle Cell Screening
At a time when health information has never been more important, the Red Cross is screening all blood, platelet and plasma donations from self-identified African American donors for the sickle cell trait. This additional screening will provide Black donors with an additional health insight and help the Red Cross identify compatible blood types more quickly to help patients with sickle cell disease who require trait-negative blood. Blood transfusion is an essential treatment for those with sickle cell disease, and blood donations from individuals of the same race, ethnicity and blood type have a unique ability to help patients fighting sickle cell disease. Donors can expect to receive sickle cell trait screening results, if applicable, within one to two weeks through the Blood Donor App and the online donor portal at redcrossblood.org.
Home Fire Response
Red Cross volunteers responded to 7 home fires in South Central Illinois from April 11 through today. Volunteers responded to incidents in Carterville, Casey, Centralia, Decatur, Mattoon, Pana and Vandalia.
During this past week, the Red Cross provided assistance to 13 individuals, through supplying them with basic items to meet immediate needs after a fire, and additional support in the form of health and mental health services and one-on-one support as the families involved work through next steps after experiencing a home fire.
If you or someone you know needs assistance after a home fire or local disaster, please call our dispatch line: (877) 597-0747.
Visit redcross.org/fire for more information. Download our free Emergency app by searching for “American Red Cross” in app stores. Free resources are available to help children learn what to do during a home fire and other emergencies.
Volunteers Needed
April is National Volunteer Month, and you can make a difference in the lives of others when you give your time and talents as an American Red Cross volunteer.
90% of the Red Cross workforce are volunteers. Local disaster response volunteers provide comfort and assistance to individuals who have been impacted by home fires and other disasters. Please visit redcross.org/volunteer to learn more and apply to become a volunteer.
Month of the Military Child
April marks the Month of the Military Child, a time to honor and celebrate the military community’s youngest members who emulate resilience every day. Being a military child can be an intense experience. The Red Cross offers a variety of programs and support networks to empower even the youngest members of the military community.
For more information on accessing Red Cross resources for service members, veterans and their families, please visit our website.
About the American Red Cross of Illinois
The American Red Cross of Illinois serves 12.4 million people in 88 counties in Illinois, Iowa and Missouri including Adams, Bond, Boone, Brown, Bureau, Carroll, Cass, Champaign, Christian, Clark, Clay, Clinton, Cook, Coles, Crawford, Cumberland, DeKalb, De Witt, Douglas, DuPage, Edgar, Effingham, Fayette, Ford, Franklin, Fulton, Green, Grundy, Hamilton, Hancock, Henderson, Henry, Iroquois, Jasper, Jefferson, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Knox, LaSalle, Lake, Lee, Livingston, Logan, Macon, Macoupin, Marion, Marshall, Mason, McDonough, McHenry, McLean, Menard, Mercer, Montgomery, Morgan, Moultrie, Ogle, Peoria, Perry, Piatt, Pike, Putnam, Richland, Rock Island, Sangamon, Schuyler, Scott, Shelby, Stark, Stephenson, Tazewell, Vermillion, Warren, Washington, Whiteside, Will, Williamson Winnebago, Woodford. Iowa: Lee, Muscatine, Scott and Van Buren. Missouri: Clark, Lewis, Marion and Ralls. The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit us at Redcross.org/Illinois or visit us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @RedCrossIL.
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