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Blood donors can support sickle cell patients

Posted on by Carolyn Bahm


awareness_2_sickle_cell_disease_print-r2c62f960add34ae3ae7a74592edb8762_wad_8byvr_512In honor of National Sickle Cell Awareness Month, Lifeblood is encouraging eligible donors to give blood during the month of September.

Memphis has the second highest population of adult sickle cell patients in the United States. It is estimated that one out of every 350 African Americans in the country is affected by sickle cell disease.

Sickle cell disease is an inherited disease that affects the red blood cells. Healthy red blood cells are round and move through small blood vessels carrying oxygen to all parts of the body. In someone who has sickle cell disease, the red cells become hard and sticky. The sickle cells die early causing a constant shortage of red blood cells, which can lead to organ failure and often requires the patient to receive frequent blood transfusions. Patients with sickle cell disease can require up to four units of blood per month for life.

Lifeblood logoSickle Cell disease predominately affects the African-American community and research shows that blood donors with the same ethnic background provide the best match to those with the disease.

Successful donors will receive a Lifeblood T-shirt and refreshments after their blood donation. Donors have the option to surrender their shirt, in which case a donation will be made to the donor’s choice of four local nonprofit agencies dependent on a stable community blood supply: Mid-South Transplant Foundation, Sickle Cell Foundation, American Cancer Society (Mid-South Chapter), or Lifeblood.

Lifeblood is hosting blood drives with many local organizations during September to raise awareness about sickle cell disease and provide an opportunity to donate blood.

[Editor’s note: The following list is updated from the original printed version of this story with additional donation dates.]

Opportunities to donate blood

  • Sept. 4: 12:30-4:30 p.m., Forrest City Medical Center, 1601 Newcastle Rd., Forrest City, Ark.
  • Sept. 5: 8 a.m.-4 p.m., Tipton Center Mobile, 628 Hwy 51 North, Ripley
  • Sept. 5: 11 a.m.-3 p.m., C Spire Wireless – Germantown Parkway, 2257 North Germantown Parkway, Cordova
  • Sept. 6: 9 a.m.-2 p.m., Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church, 70 Bellevue Avenue, Memphis
  • Sept. 6: noon- 4 p.m., Walmart-Batesville, Batesville, Miss.
  • Sept. 6: 8 a.m.-4 p.m., Tipton Center Mobiles, 628 Hwy 51, North Ripley
  • Sept. 7: 12:30-3:30 p.m., Macedonia Baptist Church, 1444 Austin St., Memphis
  • Sept. 7: 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m., First UMC – Millington, 8029 Wilkinsville Road, Millington
  • Sept. 7: 9 a.m.-1 p.m., Bartlett Baptist Church, 3465 Kirby Whitten Rd., Bartlett
  • Sept. 10: 1-4 p.m., AOC, 955 Highway 57, Piperton
  • Sept. 10: 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminar,y 2095 Appling Road, Cordova
  • Sept. 11: 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m., Crittenden Regional Hospital, 200 Tyler St., West Memphis, Ark.
  • Sept. 12: 8 a.m.-4 p.m., Tipton Center Mobiles, 1995 Hwy 51, South Covington
  • Sept. 13: 11 a.m.-3 p.m., Walmart-Wolfchase, 8400 Hwy 64, Bartlett
  • Sept. 13: 8 a.m.-4 p.m., Tipton Center Mobiles, 1995 Hwy 51, South Covington
  • Sept. 13: 9 a.m.-noon, Methodist Olive Branch Hospital, 4250 Bethel Road, Olive Branch,Miss.
  • Sept. 14: 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Germantown Presbyterian Church, 2363 South Germantown Rd., Germantown
  • Sept. 14: 8-11 a.m., Woodland Hills Church of Christ, 10011 Woodland Hills Drive, Cordova
  • Sept. 17: 5-7 p.m., Mullins United Methodist Church, 4 North Mendenhall, Memphis
  • Sept. 17: 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Northside High School, 1212 Vollintine, Memphis
  • Sept. 18: 12:30-4:30 P.M., Baptist Memorial Hospital – Tipton, 1995 Hwy. 51, South Covington
  • Sept. 19: 1-4 p.m., Barnhart Crane and Rigging Co., 2163 Airways Blvd., Memphis
  • Sept. 19: 9 a.m.-1 p.m., Dixon Hughes Goodman LLP, 999 S. Shady Grove Road, Memphis
  • Sept. 19: 8 a.m.-4 p.m., Tipton Center Mobiles, 1828 Old Highway 51 S, Brighton
  • Sept. 20: 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Blytheville Community Drive, 320 North 6th, Blytheville, Ark.
  • Sept. 20: 10 a.m.-4 p.m., City Auto, 4932 Elmore Road, Memphis
  • Sept. 20: 8-10 a.m., Morning Chapel Baptist Church, 8701 Trinity Road, Cordova
  • Sept. 21: 7:45 a.m.-1 p.m., Church of the Incarnation, 360 Bray Station, Collierville
  • Sept. 23: 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Helena Regional Medical Center, 1801 Martin Luther King Jr. Dr., Helena, Ark.
  • Sept. 23: 7 a.m.-5 p.m., Baptist Memorial Hospital – Memphis, 6025 Walnut Grove Road, Memphis
  • Sept. 23: 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Independent Bank, 5050 Poplar, Memphis
  • Sept. 25: 2:30-5 p.m., Varsity Spirit Corp., 3131 Appling Road, Bartlett
  • Sept. 26: 8 a.m.-4 p.m., Tipton Center Mobiles, 11630 Highway 51 S., Atoka
  • Sept. 27: 8 a.m.-4 p.m., Tipton Center Mobiles, 11630 Highway 51 S., Atoka
  • Sept. 28: 8 a.m.-2 p.m., Our Lady of Perpetual Help, 8151 Poplar Ave., Germantown
  • Sept. 28: 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Faith Anglican Church-Cordova, 9555 Walnut Grove Road, Cordova
  • Sept. 28: 8:30 a.m.-1 p.m.New Hope Christian Church, 3300 Kirby Whitten Road, Bartlett
  • Sept. 30: 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Methodist Hospital – North, 3960 New Covington Pike,Memphis
Carolyn Bahm