sickle cell - Community Blood Center of the Carolinas
80,000 PEOPLE IN
98% OF WHOM A
But you can help.
Find out how insi
“I NEED YOU!T”
Imagine being in such intense pain that it is
impossible to lift your crying baby girl from her crib.
Imagine that your earliest memories include hospital
visits with IV fluids, pain medications and blood
transfusions. Imagine knowing that feeling well today
is fleeting because in a matter of weeks the intensity
of a pain you know too well will have returned.
That’s what Ishia’s life is like living with Sickle Cell.
WHY IS BLOOD
SICKLE CELL R
Sickle Cell is the most common genetic (inherited)
blood disorder that causes red blood cells to create
abnormal hemoglobin – the protein that allows red
blood cells to carry oxygen to organs and tissue.
These red blood cells form an abnormal crescent
shape and don’t move easily through blood vessels
sometimes blocking blood flow. Severe pain, tissue
damage, serious infections and even stroke are the
byproducts of Sickle Cell. Though not unique to
African-Americans, 98% of individuals diagnosed in
the U.S. with Sickle Cell are African-American.
Many Sickle Cell patients rely on blood
transfusions for their treatment. Research shows
that more than half of all persons with Sickle Cell will
require a blood transfusion in their lifetime and the
majority will require multiple transfusions, using an
average of four units per month.
WHERE DOES THE BLOOD COME
WHY DO I NEED TO DONATE BLOOD?
Nationally, the number of African-Americans who
need blood transfusions exceeds the number of
African-Americans who donate blood. The same is
It is possible for an African-American patient to
match blood types with a donor from any racial or
ethnic group. However, the best match for a blood
true in our community where we simply do not have
enough local African-American donors to meet
local patient needs.
transfusion, and the least likely to be available, is
from an African-American donor.
Without local volunteer blood donors—when a pain
crisis happens, such as those suffered by Ishia and
most Sickle Cell patients—there may not be blood
available to help her.
Genetically-similar blood is preferred for those who
need repeated blood transfusions, and for conditions
like Sickle Cell. Blood more closely matched to a
patient’s is less likely to be rejected and can mean
fewer complications after a transfusion.
More African-American blood donors increases
the likelihood that Sickle Cell patients here in our
community will find the match they need.
SICKLE CELL PATIENTS NEED
Community Blood Center of the Carolinas is the
primary blood supplier to our region’s hospitals.
CBCC launched its Sickle Cell Specialty Donor
Program to further meet the needs of this underserved group of patients. Our goal is to create a
registry of African-American volunteer donors whose
blood type and traits are matched with a local Sickle
Cell patient. These donations are necessary to save
lives. But CBCC cannot do it without you.
CBCC needs close to 400 people a day to roll up
their sleeves and give the gift of life. Regular blood
donations by African-Americans will support individuals
with Sickle Cell in our community. As an AfricanAmerican, YOU can help save your family, friends and
neighbors who are afflicted with Sickle Cell.
Please donate today or sponsor a blood drive at your
church or organization by calling 704.972.4700.
“I NEED YOU!T”
Every Drop Stays Here. Saving Local Lives.
4777 South Boulevard | Charlotte, NC 28209 | 704.972.4700