About every two and a half minutes, someone with sickle cell disease arrives at a U.S. emergency room. Most often, they’re in severe pain. It can affect any part of the body, but is most often in the back, chest, arms or legs. Some sickle cell warriors say the pain feels like being repeatedly stabbed or electrocuted. Others compare it to broken bones or feeling like broken glass is flowing through their body. Each person experiences their pain differently.

This episode of pain is a vaso-occlusive crisis, also known as a sickle cell crisis, and it’s the top reason sickle cell warriors are hospitalized. It happens when sickle-shaped red blood cells block the body’s blood vessels and prevent oxygen from flowing to tissues and organs, causing severe pain. The episodes can last for hours, days or even weeks and can lead to complications like tissue and organ damage, anemia, kidney failure and strokes.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), sickle cell disease affects one in every 365 African American newborns, making it the most common inherited blood disorder in the country. Many sickle cell warriors require blood transfusions throughout their lifetime – as many as 100 transfusions each year – to manage their symptoms and improve health outcomes.

Unfortunately, frequent transfusions can lead patients to develop an immune response to blood that is not closely matched to their own, making it difficult to find compatible blood types. Beyond the well-known A, B, O and AB, there are more than 300 known antigens for red blood cells and some are unique to specific racial and ethnic groups.

Diversifying the blood donor base

Blood donors who identify as Black or African American are almost three times more likely to be a match for sickle cell patients compared to other donors. In 2021, the American Red Cross launched its Sickle Cell Initiative to grow the number of donors who can help people living with sickle cell disease.

Since the launch, the initiative has reached several impressive milestones. More than 140,000Black individuals gave blood for the very first time, reversing the trend of declining donors overall for this group. The Red Cross also provided more than 300,000 sickle cell trait screenings to donors who self-identified as African American, Black or multiracial, helping to raise awareness in communities most impacted by sickle cell disease.

Focusing on youth, the Red Cross invested $205,000 in future leaders through the Sickle Cell Fighter High School Scholarship Program, awarding $5,000 scholarships to 41 students who demonstrated outstanding commitment to helping patients with sickle cell disease. Through the historically Black colleges and university (HBCU) Ambassador Program, the Red Cross collected 7,300 units of blood at more than 320 blood drives on HBCU campuses – including Lincoln and Cheyney universities locally.

Joined by Blood

Patients with sickle cell disease undergoing stem cell or gene therapy treatments also benefit from blood and platelet donations that are closely matched to avoid transfusion-related complications. To help ensure these lifesaving treatments remain available, the Red Cross is mobilizing communities through its fall “Joined by Blood” activation.

From September through October, more than 750 Joined by Blood drives will take place nationwide. Partners include the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America, 100 Black Men of America, The Links, Incorporated, Delta Air Lines, Chi Eta Phi Sorority, Jack and Jill of America, member organizations of the National Pan-Hellenic Council, HBCUs, faith-based organizations and more.

To schedule an appointment to donate, visit RedCrossBlood.org, download the free Red Cross Blood Donor App or call 1-800-RED CROSS.

Upcoming Joined by Blood drives in Southeastern PA
Sept. 7 – WeLoveU Foundation at Philadelphia, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.
Sept. 9 – Upper Darby High School, Drexel Hill, 2-7 p.m.
Sept. 13 – Bethlehem Baptist Church, Spring House, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.
Sept. 18 – Mt. Carmel Baptist Church, Philadelphia, 1-6 p.m.
Sept. 23 – Office of City Commissioner Omar Sabir, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
Sept. 23 & 24 – Internal Revenue Service, Philadelphia, 8 a.m.-6 p.m.
Sept. 25 – Lincoln University, Lincoln University, 1-6 p.m.
Oct. 9 – Philadelphia High School for Girls, Philadelphia, 8:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Oct. 16 – Temple University ROTC, Philadelphia, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
Oct. 18 – CareView Community Church, Lansdowne, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.
Oct. 22 – Lankenau High School, Philadelphia, 7:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Oct. 27 – Imhotep Institute Charter School, Philadelphia, 8:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Oct. 30 – Orleans Technical College, Philadelphia, 9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
Oct. 30 – Philadelphia International Airport, Philadelphia, 6 a.m.-6 p.m.
Oct. 31 – Academy Park High School, Sharon Hill, 8 a.m.-1 p.m.

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- Written by Alana Mauger