For the second year, Mural Arts Philadelphia (Mural Arts) invited the American Red Cross to partner with its Mural Arts Month activities to raise awareness about sickle cell disease. Sickle cell is the most common genetic blood disorder in the U.S., impacting more than 100,000 people across the country and affecting one out of every 365 African American births.

Mural Arts kicked off its celebration with a press conference on Sept. 17th in Love Park. The timing aligns with Sickle Cell Awareness Month in September and the Red Cross campaign “Joined by Blood,” which continues through October.

Red Cross Emerging Markets Account Manager Jamie Lane tied the work of the two organizations together at the press conference.

“Joined by Blood marks a special time when the Red Cross teams up with community organizations – like Mural Arts – to host blood drives and provide public health education to support those living with sickle cell disease,” he shared.

The focus of the “Joined By Blood” campaign is simple: partner with members of the Black community to grow the number of Black blood donors. Why? Regular blood transfusions are often needed to manage the extreme pain and life-threatening complications of sickle cell disease.

For sickle cell warriors, repeated transfusions may cause an immune response to blood from donors that is not closely matched to their own. However, because most individuals who are Black have unique structures on their red blood cells that are not often found in other donor populations, 1 in 3 Black blood donors is a match for someone living with sickle cell disease.   

The 2024 Mural Arts Month theme “Roots & Reimagination” strikes a chord with the work of the Red Cross, as the scientific community is working to reimagine the way it treats sickle cell. For the first time, groundbreaking gene therapies are a treatment option for sickle cell warriors. But the role of blood remains vital.

“Donated blood remains a critical part of those medical procedures,” said Lane. “Some patients may need up to 50 units of blood and 25 units of platelets as they go through treatment.”

Lane concluded his remarks by encouraging all donors – regardless of their blood type or background – to schedule an appointment to donate blood or platelets.

“There’s no substitute for generously donated blood,” he said.

October marks the 26th annual Mural Arts Month in the City of Brotherly Love and the 40th anniversary of the mural arts program, which began in 1984 as the Anti-Graffiti Network. With more than 4,300 murals across the city, Philadelphia is known as the “Mural Capital of the World” and boasts the nation’s largest public art program.

Red Cross volunteers will provide information about sickle cell disease and more during Mural Arts Fest on Sept. 28th from 1-6 p.m. in Love Park. The event is free but RSVPs are encouraged. Visit the Mural Arts website for a full list of events.

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- Written by Alana Mauger