LifeSouth Honors National Sickle Cell Awareness Month
Donations to help local sickle cell patients are needed due to blood supply shortage

September is Sickle Cell Awareness Month, and LifeSouth Community Blood Centers seeks donors to participate in its 365 Movement to support local patients living with sickle cell disease (SCD). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it is present in an estimated one in every 365 Black children born in the United States, and one out of 16,300 Hispanic-American children.

SCD is a genetic blood disorder that is named for the thin, crescent-shaped red blood cells that face more difficulty passing through blood vessels than healthy, disc-shaped red blood cells. Patients with SCD may experience symptoms such as chronic fatigue, recurrent episodes of extreme pain, breathlessness and increased risk of complications such as stroke, liver disease and delayed growth. The CDC reports that SCD affects approximately 100,000 Americans. People living with SCD often need blood transfusions to increase the amount of healthy red blood cells in their bloodstream and lessen the effects of the sickle-shaped cells.

LifeSouth works with local hospitals, such as Baptist Medical Center South, Baptist Medical Center East, Prattville Baptist, Jackson Hospital, East Alabama Medical Center, St. Francis-Emory, Jack Hughston, WellStar West Georgia, Flowers Hospital, Southeast Health, Dale Medical Center and many other local hospitals in surrounding counties, to match SCD patients with Sickle Cell Heroes: donors whose red blood cells are precisely matched to reduce complications from blood transfusions. The best matches are likely to be found within a patient’s own ethnic group.

“As we have been grappling with a low blood supply this year across the nation, we ask all eligible donors to give this month in support of those with sickle cell disease,” said Dr. Chris Lough, Vice President of Medical Services for LifeSouth Community Blood Centers. “Donors whose blood types are specially matched to provide blood for patients with SCD have the opportunity to join our Sickle Cell Heroes program and join our life changing 365 Movement, giving the gift of life to those in need.”

Support Sickle Cell Awareness month in these ways:

Please plan to visit the donor center at 4139 Carmichael Road, Montgomery, AL on Thursday, September 15^th, from 9:00am until 5:00pm as we raise awareness for Sickle Cell Month.

The LifeSouth Community Foundation will provide a monetary grant to the Sickle Cell Foundation of Greater Montgomery in honor of our blood donors.