2023-12-21 02:53:00
MORGANTOWN, W.Va (WDTV) – The American Red Cross held one of their typical blood drives at the Hotel Morgan in Morgantown.
What many people are not aware of is their mission to fight Sickle Cell disease throughout West Virginia.
For the past several years, African-American donators might choose to give their blood to fight Sickle Cell disease.
Ti’ara Kyle has been with the Red Cross for regarding a year. She is in charge of operating the power red machine which is specially designed to fight Sickle Cell.
“We actually made it were we normally take four blood types for our power red machine,” she said. “If you are African-American we are actually now taking all blood types.”
Despite recently approved treatments by the FDA, Sickle Cell disease is still impacting the Black community.
According to the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources, 2 to 3 African-American infants per year in the state are identified with this disorder.
According to the CDC, 1 in 13 African-American infants throughout the country are born with it.
“Sickle Cell is an African-American common disorder for the red blood cells,” Kyle said.
“It actually releases oxygen where it is unable to flow through the blood vessel so with that you do a blood transfusion with those red blood cells to replace those bad Sickle Cells with the healthy ones. With the power red machine your able to take two units of red blood cells. And that is able to go to the patient that has sickle cell.”
Ti’ara feels that even with the strides in treating this disease, it’s still a major problem in West Virginia’s Black community.
“African-Americans aren’t really educated on donating and the Sickle Cell disease itself,” Kyle said.
“I am here to give that information and to help. To spread it along and give people that education that they need. To know regarding it to come donate. What you don’t know hurts you. And when you know you can do it.”
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