Donor Buddy Program
On average, our hospital is providing regular care for 90 children who need blood on a monthly basis to live.
Often, these children are receiving treatment for Sickle Cell Anemia, and require monthly blood transfusions of red blood cells with rare attributes.
You Could Be a Match
We routinely screen our regular blood donors for the blood attributes needed by patients with blood disorders. If you match one or more of our patients, we will let you know by sending you a "Donor Buddy" card.
The Role of Race and Ethnicity
Sickle cell anemia patients need transfusions of blood that is as close as possible to their own, in both blood type and blood attributes. Since specific blood attributes are inherited, it is likely that a person of the same race and ethnicity will be a better match for a child with sickle cell anemia than someone who is not.
Sickle cell anemia is particularly common among people whose ancestors came from:
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Spanish speaking regions (South America, Cuba, Central America)
- Saudi Arabia
- India
- Mediterranean countries (Turkey, Greece and Italy)
In the Unites States, sickle cell anemia affects around 72,000 people, most of whose ancestors came from Africa. The disease occurs in about:
- One in every 500 African-American births
- One in every 1,000 to 1,400 Hispanic-American births
