Ahead of National Sickle Cell Awareness Month, Senator April Baskin and the American Red Cross of Western New York held a panel discussion on Friday to raise awareness of the condition and the need for blood donations.
Sickle cell is the most common inherited blood disorder in the United States – causing blood cells to become hard, sticky, and shaped like a sickle, a tool you would find on a farm. Sickle cell leads to symptoms including extreme pain, jaundice, and anemia, and introducing healthy blood cells through transfusions is important for treating the condition.
However, according to the Red Cross, only three percent of age-eligible adults donate their blood yearly. Juanita McClain, president of Sickle Cell Warriors of Buffalo, explained that not only having blood banked, but having a diverse blood pool is important in treating sickle cell, which predominantly impacts people of color.
“When we talk about [the] best blood match for sickle cell patients, we look for a more diverse blood because our African American donors carry something called CEK- blood,” McCain said. “We want our patients to be matched with someone with CEK- blood because then they have the best outcome with receiving a blood transfusion.”
If a person receives a blood transfusion that is not a close match for their blood type, it can cause reactions, which can be a significant problem for people who receive repeated transfusions. According to the Red Cross, people with sickle cell can need as many as 100 units of blood a year. Beyond matching donors and recipients based on the standard ABO type, blood that is CEK- and Sickle Cell Trait Negative (HbS-), is important to reduce reactions in recipients with sickle cell.
In addition to McCain and Baskin, panelists included Dr. Jennifer Abeles from UBMD Physicians Group, Duane Burnley from the Red Cross of WNY, Anthony Sheppard from Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, and Jason Moore, who is the vice president of Sickle Cell Warriors of Buffalo. The panel was moderated by Glenn Jackson from M&T Bank.
In addition to explaining sickle cell and barriers patients face in the context of blood donation, McClain, Moore and Dr. Abeles also discussed the stigma, judgment and shame patients often face. McClain and Moore, who both have sickle cell, emphasized that learning about sickle cell is also essential for increasing understanding and compassion for the condition.
“When people look at me when I go to work ‘well what's wrong with you today? Why are you tired? Why are your eyes yellow? etc’ if people knew the effects of sickle cell disease they would not be so judgmental,” McCain said. ‘You have to learn about this disease if you want to be supportive.”
Sickle Cell Warriors of Buffalo will also continue their education, community building and fundraising next week at the 8th Annual Walk Like Warriors for Sickle Cell fundraiser at Delaware Park.
To learn more about blood donation and sickle cell disease, click here.
