Congress designated September as Sickle Cell Awareness Month to help increase awareness of sickle cell anemia and push research and treatment efforts.

What is Sickle Cell Disease?

Sickle cell disease is inherited and impacts the red blood cells. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NIH) report that sickle cell disease is “the most common inherited blood disorder in the U.S. It affects approximately 100,000 Americans.”

People with sickle cell have an abnormal type of hemoglobin, the protein that carries oxygen throughout the body. Called hemoglobin S (sickle) cells, these are crescent shaped red blood cells that block the flow of blood. Tissues that do not receive normal blood flow in time become damaged. Lack of blood flow causes recurring chronic pain in sickle cell patients.

Sickle Cell and Blood Donation

Many sickle cell patients receive regular blood transfusions to remove the abnormal sickle cells and replace with normal red cells.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports that, “More than 90% of people in the U.S. with sickle cell disease are African American.” For the best outcome, it’s recommended that sickle cell patients receive transfusions from the same ethnicity. This increases the need for African Americans to donate blood to help sickle cell patients.

However, only 5% of blood donors are African American.

How to Help Sickle Cell Patients

Make donating blood a habit. Most donors only give blood between 1-2 times a year, but you can donate blood every 56 days up to 6 times per year. Blood donations, no matter your ethnicity, are needed all the time to treat patients in area hospitals.

Join the National Sickle Cell Advocacy Network (NSCAN). This is a national group of people looking to educate and help people impacted by sickle cell disease.