Q: For those who may be unfamiliar, what is sickle cell disease?  
A: Sickle cell is a disorder of the red blood cell. Normally we would make nice round, soft blood cells. For people with sickle cell disease, some of the blood cells their bodies make are sickle-shaped or shaped like a crescent moon or a banana. Those cells are hard, rigid, and sticky, so they don’t flow as freely through the bloodstream, and at times they can get trapped, which can cause excruciating pain. A patient experiencing this is said to be in a “pain crisis” because of the severity of their pain. 

Q: Would you please share your family’s personal story of experiencing sickle cell disease? 
A: My son is 11; his name is Dreylan. He was diagnosed at four weeks old through the newborn screening process here in South Carolina. Finding out was a tough thing for us. Dreylan has grown over the years, and we’ve experienced numerous emergency room visits and hospital stays. He’s had several blood transfusions, which is part of the reason that brought me here to the Red Cross. 

He’s a wonderful kid, super resilient. The pain crises are unpredictable. They can happen at any time, affecting family life and school life, but we remain positive, and he handles it very well. 

Q: What is it like when Dreylan receives a blood transfusion—how does he feel afterward?  
A: Blood transfusions bring him back to life. There have been times when he’s very depleted, and I say he looks puny and lifeless. Those blood transfusions bring him back to life. He has more energy, and he’s able to get up and move around. There’s no other way to say it; the transfusions are lifesaving. 

Q: The Red Cross has been working hard to raise awareness of sickle cell disease and spread the message of the need for diverse blood donors. Why are diverse blood donors such an essential piece of the puzzle? 
A: Diverse donors are very important because we carry antigens in our blood. There are more than 600 known antigens besides A and B, and certain blood types are unique to specific racial and ethnic groups. Sickle cell patients need “like blood.” We need donors with blood like ourselves. Blood transfusions are one of the most critical treatments for sickle cell disease. A close blood type match is essential for many patients with sickle cell and is found in donors of the same race or similar ethnicity. 

Q: During National Sickle Cell Awareness Month, The Red Cross is working to raise awareness that sickle cell is the most common inherited blood disorder in the country. About 100,000 people in the United States have sickle cell disease, and most are of African descent. Earlier this year, the Red Cross began screening all blood donations from self-identified Black or African American donors for the sickle cell trait. Why is this knowledge important for donors?  
A: 1 in 13 African Americans are born with the sickle cell trait. When both parents are carriers of the sickle cell trait, there’s a 25% chance with each pregnancy that the child will be born with sickle cell disease. These numbers tell us how common the disease is. 

Q: Tell us about your role and what you’ll be doing at the Red Cross.  
A: The Red Cross has some wonderful initiatives around sickle cell disease. My role is the Sickle Cell Account Manager, and I will cover the state of South Carolina. My role is to go out into these communities and recruit more diverse blood donors. I’m so excited to be a part of these efforts and working towards closing the Sickle Cell Gap. 

Q: What does it mean to you that the Red Cross has made the Sickle Cell Initiative an organizational priority? 
A: It means so much to me! It makes my heart smile to know that closing the sickle cell gap is a priority for the American Red Cross. All I can think about are the times when my son was in the hospital and needed a transfusion, and we had to wait for blood. The ongoing critical need for blood is impacting patients. I think about those times, and I imagine if we were sitting in the hospital right now waiting for him to have a transfusion and if we could not get blood. It is personal, and I am very passionate about what we’re doing here. 

Q: How can people help support this initiative and patients like Dreylan? 
A: The number one way you can support closing the sickle cell gap is by donating blood, and you can help by sharing the message and raising awareness of sickle cell disease and the need for diversifying the blood supply. You can go to redcrossblood.org and enter your zip code, and you can find a blood drive near you.