June 19th is World Sickle Cell Awareness Day. June 19th is also the day we celebrate Juneteenth, an especially meaningful holiday for Black Americans.
Blood transfusions are one of the most important treatments for sickle cell warriors. Did you know that the chances of a successful transfusion increase when the blood comes from someone of a similar race or ethnicity? That’s why African American blood donors are so important! Less than 3% of U.S. blood donors are African American. You can help us reduce this disparity and directly support sickle cell warriors by pledging to donate blood today!
It’s a day to celebrate and rejoice in blackness, in our history, in our strength, in our joy, in our pride, and in our love for one another. There is a shortage of black and brown blood donors and I think, speaking from my own journey to becoming a donor, that many people don’t donate simply because they lack awareness. Awareness of the specific extremes suffered by Sickle Cell patients, awareness about exactly WHY receiving blood from someone with genetics as close to your own as possible, can literally be the difference between life and death, awareness of the statistics of Sickle Cell, the extremely high percentage of sufferers being of African descent….etc. Sickle Cell patients are part of our community.
We need to all take care of each other, especially on the day that honors the strength of Black people, our resilience is our legacy. By donating blood, we are strengthening the resilience of not only Sickle Cell Patients, but the resilience of the Black Community as a whole.
Let’s look out for each other in unity and truly honor the spirit of Juneteenth!
We are our brother’s keeper.
Sleeves Up, Hearts Open, All In 