TaNisha Parker’s full-circle moment for giving blood came in August 2022, when a notification from the American Red Cross arrived in her email, informing her the blood she had donated at a blood drive earlier that month was going to a children’s hospital in Detroit.
“It was the most fulfilling moment of my life,” Parker said. “That is why I keep donating.”
Parker said she re-reads the email notification once or twice of a month for inspiration.
“I feel overwhelmed with gratitude, overwhelmed with generosity in the fact that not only do I matter, donating blood matters,” she said.
That donation three years ago had added significance for Parker. The blood drive was hosted by her best friend, DeAndra Smith, who has been living with sickle cell disease since age 2. There, she learned of the physical and emotional challenges that come with the disease, which occurs in 1 in 365 Black or African American births. Smith is the sickle cell blood account manager for the Red Cross in Michigan.
September is National Sickle Cell Awareness Month, which aims to increase public awareness of sickle cell. Sickle cell affects the shape of red blood cells, which carry oxygen to the rest of the body. Instead of round and soft, red blood cells in sickle cell patients are crescent-shaped and hard, which prevents blood from flowing smoothly. This can lead to severe pain, tissue and organ damage, even strokes.
Blood transfusions provide a lifesaving treatment for patients during a sickle cell crisis by increasing the number of normal red blood cells in the body. Some sickle cell patients may need as many as 100 units of blood each year. Stem or bone marrow transplants are considered the only cure for sickle cell disease. But these treatments and gene therapy are not widely available.
In 2021, the Red Cross launched an initiative to increase the number of donors who are Black to help people living with sickle cell and improve health outcomes. Blood donors who are Black are almost 3 times more likely to be a match for the blood most commonly needed, compared with donors who are not Black or African American. To date, more than 140,000 first-time African American blood donors have rolled up a sleeve, helping to strengthen and diversify our blood donor base while reversing the trend of declining donors overall for this group.
At the blood drive, Parker learned she has the DNA markers in her blood that are a compatible match for people living with sickle cell. That means she is an official “Sickle Cell Fighter,” a designation she proudly boasts.
Parker said she knows of a family relative and two co-workers who are living with sickle cell.
“I really didn’t understand the impact sickle cell has on the community or the people living with it until DeAndra started sharing her story with us and we started witnessing her crises and recovery,” Parker said.
Parker is a passionate advocate for giving blood and uses her platform as a mental health and wellness trainer to speak to the constant need. She counted 25 co-workers who, at her urging, have given blood in their respective areas of the country in the last 3-4 years.
Parker, who once served a semester internship at the Red Cross in college, made her 10th blood donation at a Red Cross blood drive at Little Caesars Arena on Aug. 7. Lying on the donor bed, she wondered about the journey of her latest donation to help those in need. A single blood donation can help save more than one life.
“It’s at the root of wellness and generosity for me,” Parker said of giving blood. “It’s not just about helping someone else. It helps me feel like I’m doing something good, like I’m being a good steward.”
By David Olejarz, regional communications director
