Red Cross seeks Black blood donors during shortage
The American Red Cross has launched an initiative and is sponsoring diversity drives this month to grow the number of Black blood donors to help patients with sickle cell disease, the most common inherited blood disorder in the U.S.
Though there is a general blood shortage, it is especially important to increase donors in the Black community because many individuals who are Black have distinct markers on their red blood cells that make their blood donations ideal for patients with sickle cell disease, the organization said.
The blood donations help patients with the disease manage their debilitating — and sometimes life-threatening — effects, like severe pain, organ failure and stroke.
“Prior to the pandemic, blood donors who are Black represented just about 4% of all Red Cross blood donors, which made it challenging to collect a sufficient number of lifesaving blood donations to meet the needs of sickle cell patients and others in need,” said Jim Mcintyre, regional communications director for the American Red Cross Northern Ohio division.
“Unfortunately, disproportionately high COVID-19 infection rates, hospitalization and fatalities within Black communities have deterred many donors from giving, and the cancellation of drives at educational institutions and businesses, where most of these donors give, has caused the number of Black individuals who give blood to drop by about half,” he said.
On Tuesday, Franklin Myles of Hudson donated blood at the Akron Red Cross after hearing about the shortage among Black donors.
It was the first time Myles donated blood, but not the first time he donated to the Red Cross.
Myles started donating convalescent plasma last spring after he had COVID-19.
He developed COVID in March 2020, spent 10 days at home sick and one week in the hospital. He was not on a ventilator but came home with longhaul symptoms, including having shortness of breath. Those symptoms lasted more than a year and only recently subsided, he said.
Once Myles heard he could help others by donating his plasma, he was hooked.
“I just felt it was like an obligation that I had to try to help people. At that time, there were no vaccinations out, and people were really sick and dying,” said Myles, an insurance agent who owns his own agency.
In fact, Myles donated so much that he reached the yearly limit from the Red Cross and had to stop.
But once he heard that there was a shortage among Black blood donors, Myles said he wanted to give blood — and encourage others to do the same.
Myles also expressed disappointment that COVID-19 has been affecting larger numbers of people in the Black community, who often are reluctant to get the vaccine.
According to the latest Ohio Department of Health data, 33.3% of Blacks in Ohio have been fully vaccinated.
About 49% of all Ohioans are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
Donating blood “makes me feel incredibly proud and helpful, and in a way it’s just a shame that we continue to put ourselves in these types of situations,” he said.
“This virus is running rampant. I have mixed emotions. I love the fact that I’m able to help but disappointed there’s not more people doing this and our community has to continue having these shortfalls and people may be die unnecessarily,” Myles said.
What is sickle cell disease?
More than 100,000 people in the U.S. have sickle cell disease and the majority of them are of African descent. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, sickle cell occurs in 1 out of every 365 Black births, and 1 in 13 Black babies are born with the sickle cell trait. A mother and father who both carry the trait can pass along sickle cell disease to their offspring.
In patients with sickle cell disease, the red blood cells become hard and sticky and misshapen like a sickle. These sickle cells die early, which causes a constant shortage of red blood cells. They also can clog blood flow, causing pain and other serious problems.
Many patients with sickle cell disease will require regular blood transfusions to help manage their disease. Unfortunately,
these patients may develop an immune response against blood from donors that is not closely matched to their own, the Red Cross said.
Sickle cell is also often undiagnosed, especially in the Black community, said Zenia Mosi, a registered nurse and sickle cell advocate in Akron.
Mosi was diagnosed when she was 3. As a child, she was told she had a life expectancy of 14.
“You can just imagine the eve of my 14th birthday and the anxiety I had,” Mosi said. “My older brother stayed up with me that night. I was really scared to go to sleep.”
As Mosi got older and passed each subsequent life expectancy or barrier, including being told she would never have children, she was determined to become a nurse to help others with the same disease. Mosi is now a nurse studying to be a nurse practitioner and hopes to one day open a sickle cell day clinic to help adult sickle cell patients.
Mosi manages her sickle cell pain and undergoes regular red blood cell exchange apheresis, another blood exchange option for some sickle cell patients, which also involves donations from blood donors.
Mosi received blood transfusions for years, but developed antibodies that make it harder to match her blood type with most blood donors. That makes it even more important for her to receive blood donations from other Black donors “so we can get as close to our type and blood as possible.”
“It doesn’t take long. You go in for an hour and a half, two hours to take your time to go and donate blood. You can potentially save someone’s life. It’s not a cure, but save my life. It’s a kind gesture to do,” she said.
“I don’t want your money, I would rather have your blood. I’m not a vampire, but your blood is more important to me than your money at this point.”
How can I donate?
During the month of September, which is Sickle Cell Awareness Month, the Red Cross and partners are holding diversity blood drives and general blood drives in the Akron five-county region. Any donors can give at any event. Appointments are encouraged, but walk-ins are accepted. Appointments can be made via the Red Cross app, online at www.redcrossblood.org or by calling 800-RED-CROSS.
The Summit Blood Donation Center at 501 W. Market St. in Akron has longer hours. It is open 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, Monday, Friday and Saturday and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday.
Here are diversity drives coming up in Summit County, but any donors are welcome:
Sept. 17: Twinsburg Community Center, 10260 Ravenna Road from noon to 6 p.m.
Sept. 23: Akron Urban League, 440 Vernon Odom Blvd. in Akron from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Sept. 30: East Community Learning Center, 80 Brittain Road in Akron from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Here are some other general blood drives in the region: :
Medina County: 2-7 p.m. Sept. 22 at Wadsworth YMCA, 623 School Drive.
Portage County: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 27 at University Hospitals Portage Medical Center, 6847 N. Chestnut St., Ravenna.
Stark County: Noon to 6 p.m. Sept. 24 at Schalmo Family YMCA, 976 Canal St., Canal Fulton.
Wayne County: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 23 at College of Wooster, 1189 Beall Ave.
Beacon Journal staff reporter Betty Lin-fisher can be reached at 330-9963724 or blinfisher@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow her @blinfisherabj on Twitter.