It’s time to roll up your sleeves and give the gift of life during a popular annual blood drive in North St. Louis County that encourages African-American donors for children with sickle cell disease who have suffered a stroke.
The annual Christ Our Redeemer AME Church Sickle Cell Sabbath Blood Drive takes place Saturday May 24, 2008 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 13820 Old Jamestown Rd. in Black Jack. Sickle Cell Sabbath has been part of the Charles Drew Blood drive for the American Red Cross since 2000, with increasing participation each year. Last year, Christ Our Redeemer exceeded goal expectations with 51 donors (goal was 35), 41 productive units, 10 deferred and 20 first time donors, making Christ Our Redeemer #1 in North St. Louis County in the Charles Drew Blood Drive.
In 1999, the Missouri/Illinois area American Red Cross partnered with Washington University School of Medicine and St. Louis Children’s Hospital to form the Charles Drew Community Blood Donation Campaign under the direction of Dr. Michael DeBaun.
The program is named in honor of Charles Richard Drew, an African-American doctor who pioneered the field of blood plasma preservation and storage. In February 1941, Dr. Drew created the first American Red Cross Blood Bank in the U.S., which produced dried plasma that could be preserved longer. The innovative research of Dr. Drew saved the lives of thousands of wounded servicemen during World War II and continues to save countless lives today.
Sickle cell disease is an inherited blood disease affecting approximately 1 in 400 newborn African-Americans in the U.S. It is estimated that more than 500 children are affected by sickle cell disease in the greater St. Louis area. Approximately 80,000 people in the United States live with the disease. About 90% of persons with sickle cell are African-American. Red blood cells that are normally doughnut shaped and flexible become sickle-shaped and inflexible in sickle cell patients. This distortion prevents the critical flow of blood to the body’s organs and tissues. These obstructions cause severe pain and stroke for many patients, particularly children. The primary treatment to prevent additional strokes in these children is regular blood transfusions.
The best blood donations for sickle cell patients come from donors of similar ethnic backgrounds. Blood donations made by African-Americans at the Sickle Cell Sabbath and other Charles Drew blood drives will be screened to determine if they “match” patients with sickle cell disease at participating hospitals.
To give blood in Missouri, donors are required to be in good health, weigh at least 110 pounds and are at least age 16 (with signed parental consent). All donors must present identification prior to donation. For more information on eligibility requirements, call 1-800-GIVE LIFE (448-3543).
To make your appointment to give blood during the Sickle Cell Sabbath, call 314-741-4222.
