CHARLOTTE, NC (WBTV) – September is Sickle Cell Awareness month.
In commemoration of that, the Community Blood Center of the Carolinas is working to increase blood donors. They are particularly in need of African-American donors to help treat sickle cell patients.
This effort is a part of CBCC's new Sickle Cell Program aimed at creating a registry of African American donors whose blood type and traits are matched with a local sickle cell patient. Studies show that one in 500 African-Americans are born with sickle cell anemia each year. Although sickle cell is not unique to African-Americans, it is more frequently diagnosed in the African-American patient population in the U.S.
According to CBCC, while blood-type compatibility is not determined by race, select rare blood types more generally found in African-Americans are needed to support sickle cell patients.
5 donation drives remain:
September 22: Sickle Cell Partners of the Carolinas, 4447 South Boulevard in Charlotte, 10:00 am ‑ 2:00 pm
Sat., September 29: Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, 3301 Statesville Road, Charlotte, 11:00 am - 3:00 pm
Sat., Sept. 29: Mt Calvary Baptist Church, 422 Carolina Avenue, Shelby, 10:00 am - 2:00 pm
Sat., September 29: First Calvary, 623 Crawford Road, Rock Hill, SC, 11:00 am - 3:00 pm
Sat., September 30: Ebenezer Baptist Church, 2020 W. Sugar Creek Road, Charlotte, 9:30 am ‑ 1:30 pm
For more information you can visit here.
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