July 13, 2018

Jessica Jankowski writes that, where the blood supply meets patients with sickle cell disease, there is “a problem.”

“This past week alone, JUST ONE local hospital required over 170 of these specially matched units to treat sickle cell patients,” says Jankowski, communications coordinator at Community Blood Center of the Carolinas.

“Sickle cell patients in our community need your specific blood to survive. Patients are more likely to match donors who share their ethnic background, so African-Americans with sickle cell need more African-American donors.” And less than 1 percent of eligible African-Americans donate blood, she says.

A radio interview is here.

Below is a video posted to Facebook by CBCC. Click anywhere on it to start it. “We have been short on orders for these units the last few weeks,” Jankowski wrtites. “That’s why we are asking for your help.”