American Red Cross and City of Richmond sponsor unique blood drive for sickle cell patients, many of whom are African American
The City of Richmond and the American Red Cross are hosting a special blood drive on Tuesday, December 1 in hopes of attracting urgently needed African American and Latinx donors.
In particular, the "diversity-community" blood drive aims to increase the amount of donor blood available for people fighting sickle cell anemia, an inherited disease that's more common in people of African descent, including African Americans. An estimated 1 in 12 African Americans carry the gene for sickle cell.
The disease is also more common in Latinx people from Central and South America, and people of Middle Eastern, Asian, Indian, and Mediterranean descent.
People with sickle cell disease need regular blood transfusions to stay alive, and face blood shortages.
It's well known that the best blood matches for donation are from people of the same race or ethnicity.
This unique blood drive hopes to boost supplies of donor blood especially from African American and Latinx populations fighting the disease.
They need your blood!
Donating blood is safe and clean. Every donor will be screened for COVID-19 as a precaution.
Details:
What: Diversity-Community Blood Drive
When: 10am to 4 pm, Tuesday, December 1
Where: Bermuda Room, Richmond Memorial Auditorium, 2533 Nevin Avenue, Richmond
Appointments: Required.To schedule an appointment go to redcrossblood.org and enter sponsor code: cityofrichmond
For more: 1-866-236-3276
Thank you for considering giving this gift of life.
