NCBB Calls for Donors to Find a Match for Sickle Cell Fighters in the Community
Nebraska Community Blood Bank (NCBB.org) is calling for donors to help them find a match for sickle cell fighters in the community. February is Black History Month, so there’s no better time to discuss a blood disorder that disproportionally affects the African American community. One in 365 African Americans are born with sickle cell disease, a life-long blood disorder that can cause extreme pain, strokes, and even organ damage in some cases. Often, regular blood transfusions are necessary to help relieve the pain associated with the disease.
To better serve local hospital patients with sickle cell, Nebraska Community Blood Bank (NCBB) has developed the Sickle Cell Donor Program, which matches patients who have sickle cell disease with donors whose blood has been tested for a precise match. This program helps prevent complications that can result from the need for frequent blood transfusions.
Sickle cell disease is hereditary, so donors of the same ethnic backgrounds are most likely to have similar blood characteristics. For this reason, African Americans are more likely to provide the best unique match for people with sickle cell disease.
If you have African or Mediterranean heritage, consider giving blood and participating in NCBB’s Sickle Cell Donor Program. You may be the match a sickle cell patient in the community needs to relieve their pain.
Give Nebraska Community Blood Bank a call at 1-(877) 486-9414 or visit NCBB.org to schedule your life-saving donation today.