SICKLE CELL AFFECTS MORE THAN

80,000 PEOPLE IN THE US,

98% OF WHOM ARE

AFRICAN-AMERICAN.

But you can help.Find out how inside »

ISHIA’S STORY

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.

IshiaCharlotte, NC

“I NEED YOU TO

GIVE BLOOD!”

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.

WHY IS BLOOD ESSENTIAL FOR SICKLE CELL PATIENTS?

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 transfusion, and the least likely to be available, is from an African-American donor.

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.

Nationally, the number of African-Americans who need blood transfusions exceeds the number of African-Americans who donate blood. The same is true in our community where we simply do not have enough local African-American donors to meet local patient needs.

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.

WHERE DOES THE BLOOD COME FROM? WHY DO I NEED TO DONATE BLOOD?

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 under-served 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.

SICKLE CELL PATIENTS NEED YOU.

CBCC HELPS

SICKLE CELL

PATIENTS.

TekaCharlotte, NC

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 African-American, 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 TO

GIVE BLOOD!”

Nicholas Charlotte, NC

Every Drop Stays Here. Saving Local Lives. 4777 South Boulevard | Charlotte, NC 28209 | 704.972.4700

www.cbcc.us