Join the Metro Detroit Chapter of the Association of Black Psychologists, for a virtual blood donation drive for Sickle Cell Awareness Month!

Sickle Cell Disease is a group of hereditary red blood cell disorders that cause abnormalities in hemoglobin, a substance in red blood cells that delivers oxygen throughout the body. This hemoglobin abnormality causes red blood cells to become hard, sticky, and shaped like a farmer’s sickle or a crescent moon. The misshapen cells are less efficient at transporting oxygen, die early causing anemia, and cause blockages and clots in blood vessels and arteries.

People with Sickle Cell Disease have frequent emergency room visits and hospitalizations due to severe acute pain, hypertension, stroke, pulmonary embolisms, and organ failures. Treatments for Sickle Cell Disease require multiple medications, regular blood transfusions, and bone marrow transplants. Sickle Cell Disease also leads to a variety of psychosocial stressors including anxiety, depression, social withdrawal, aggression, poor relationships and poor school performance. Sickle Cell Disease disproportionately affects Black people and it is important that the blood transfusions they recieve match their blood subtype to reduce transfusion related complications. Blood compatibility increases from donors of the same race or similar ethnicity.

People of Black, African, and Caribbean heritage are 10 times more likely to have the rare Ro subtype blood. However, only 2% of the general (majority non-Black) population have the Ro subtype, meaning there is a shortage of compatible blood for Black Sickle Cell patients. Pledge to make a blood donation today, and then visit https://www.redcrossblood.org/local-homepage.html to find your local Red Cross to donate!