#TeamUp4SickleCell to Help Patients During Sickle Cell Awareness Month

“I was born with sickle cell. I wasn’t diagnosed until 11 months old, but I’ve known my whole life. I’m the only person in my family with it.” Quin Peake is the oldest of 3 girls in her immediate family. Her mom is one of 14 children, and her dad is one of 8 children. Both of her parents have the sickle cell trait, which is how Quin got sickle cell anemia.

After sharing her story, Quin can easily be described as resilient and brave. “I remember one year alone needing 23 pints of blood. Sometimes I would get hyper transfused, and get 3 units of blood instead of one,” said Quin. She grew up in Southeastern Kentucky in Neon where deadly flooding hit in July. Her family is okay, but their house and cars were damaged.

Quin receives most of her treatments at UK Hospital. She attended college at University of Kentucky and started volunteering with the blood center. “I started sharing my story more and discussing it. Now I’m an advocate for research, funding, and blood donation,” commented Quin. Her hematologist is a professor at UK and invites her back to classes when they are studying sickle cell. She enjoys answering questions and providing insight from a patient perspective.

One doctor predicted that Quin has received well over 500 pints of blood in her life. At 41 years old, she is hopeful for the future of medicine, saying, “There’s not a universal cure for sickle cell- although there are good things in the works. Things like gene editing, bone marrow, and stem cell. There’s a promise.” She is dedicated to learning all she can about the disease and is still educating herself to this day.

Quin knows the red flags that come along with sickle cell. “I can tell [when I need a transfusion] because my energy is low.” With the massive amount of transfusions she has received over the years, her body has built up antibodies and antigens. Due to this, it can be hard to find a blood match for Quin. “I am most likely not going to get transfused immediately,” she said. “It will likely be a day or 2 later while they try to find a match. With the antigens in my body, [the blood will] need to be closely compatible. My donor will probably be African American because our anatomy is similar.” 

Quinn is dedicated to sharing her story and letting people know the need for blood is always there. She has had neighbors in her town giving blood because of her story. She attends sickle cell conferences with the medical community and sessions for patients. It can be a complicated disease to understand and navigate, and Quin continues to be an inspiration to those around her.

One in 3 African American blood donors are a match for people with sickle cell disease. We are encouraging all donors who identify as Black or African American to schedule an appointment to give blood. You can schedule your appointment by going to redcrossblood.org. #TeamUp4SickleCell #BlackBloodDonorsNeeded