Blood Donor Spotlight: Angela McGinnis

Angela, left, standing with Donitra Gray,
Red Cross Collections Charge Nurse

Angela McGinnis has been a blood donor since she was in high school. “I try to do my civic duty and give back to the community… I probably donate twice a year,” said Angela. She expressed that you never know when you might be the one who needs blood. “[Blood] is not something you can make. That’s the only way you can get it is if people donate.”

Donating blood is personal for Angela, as her husband, brother and mom have needed blood transfusions. “Lots of people in my family have had medical issues… My husband had bleeding ulcers. My mom needed a transfusion when she had stomach issues. My brother has diverticulitis. He bled so bad once that he needed a pint of blood,” said Angela. She also knows someone with Sickle Cell disease. “We know as a minority it usually takes somebody in the same ethnic group to get a match,” she said.

Angela wants to encourage people to come out and give. “Donating blood is not as bad as people think. It doesn’t take much time. If not to help yourself, do it to help other people. You never know when it could be you in the hospital.”

Thank you for sharing your story, Angela! Find a blood drive in your area by going to redcrossblood.org or calling 1-800-RED-CROSS.

#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

For patients with sickle cell disease, blood transfusions are essential

Seventeen-year-old Demarus Torrence loves comics and sci-fi movies, and like his favorite superheroes, he’s awfully brave himself. Demarus lives with sickle cell disease, the most common inherited blood disorder, which affects about 100,000 people in the U.S.

 

What is sickle cell disease?

•       Sickle cell disease makes red blood cells hard and sickle-shaped instead of soft and round.

•       Blood flow can be blocked and impact oxygen delivery.

•       It can cause severe pain, strokes and organ damage.

•       Sickle cell disease disproportionately impacts the Black community.

 

Like many others with sickle cell disease, Demarus endures monthly blood transfusions, and, at times, regular hospital stays to help with extreme pain and other complications. “Just imagine someone hitting your back with a hammer, constantly, and it just won’t stop,” says Demarus’ mother, Passion Terrell. “[Demarus] describes it, and you can picture it, but you really can’t.”

Blood transfusion is essential in managing the very real pain and long-term health of those with sickle cell disease. Transfusions provide healthy red blood cells to help deliver oxygen throughout the body and unblock blood vessels. For Demarus, blood transfusions make a world of difference to his health. “It’s amazing – once he gets that blood in him, it’s like a different person,” Passion said. “His breathing improves; his blood levels improve. It’s like his body wakes up.”

A patient with sickle cell disease can require up to 100 units of blood each year to treat complications from the disease. Many may need to receive blood transfusions throughout their lives. Unfortunately, these patients may develop an immune response against blood from donors that is not closely matched to their own. Many individuals who are Black have distinct markers on their red blood cells that make their donations ideal for helping patients with sickle cell disease.  

To help ensure closely matched blood products are available for patients with sickle cell disease, the American Red Cross has launched a national initiative to grow the number of blood donors who are Black.

Join with the Red Cross to help address this health disparity by making an appointment to give blood:

·         Sign up at RedCrossBlood.org.

·         Sign up with the Red Cross Blood Donor App.

·         Call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

·         Or enable the Blood Donor Skill on any Alexa Echo device.

Help Patients with Sickle Cell Disease During Sickle Cell Awareness Month

In the U.S., more than 100,000 people are estimated to be living with sickle cell disease, most of whom are of African descent. During Sickle Cell Awareness Month, the American Red Cross is emphasizing the importance of a diverse blood supply to help meet the needs of those with sickle cell disease, the most common inherited blood disorder in the country.

Sickle cell disease causes red blood cells to be hard and crescent-shaped instead of soft and round. As a result, blood has difficulty flowing smoothly and carrying oxygen to the rest of the body, which may lead to severe pain, tissue and organ damage, acute anemia and even strokes. A patient with sickle cell disease can require multiple blood transfusions per year throughout their lifetime to treat complications from the disease.

Blood given to those with sickle cell disease must be matched closely to reduce the risk of complications. A patient in need of blood is most likely to find a compatible match from a donor of the same race or similar ethnicity. 

Jalen Matthews was diagnosed with sickle cell anemia at birth. At 11 years old, she suffered a stroke due to sickle cell complications which caused blood clots on the base of her spine and left her with paralysis in her left arm. Since then, Jalen has received red blood cell exchanges, a non-surgical therapy that removes five units of abnormal red blood cells and replaces them with five units of healthy red blood cells obtained from blood donors, every four to six weeks.

For 22 year-old Jalen, regular blood transfusions help keep her sickle cell complications at bay and have allowed her the opportunity to complete undergraduate studies at the University of Kentucky and to pursue her master’s degree at the University of Indianapolis.

“Without red cell exchanges, I wouldn’t be able to leave the state for school because I would be in constant pain,” said Jalen. “Thanks to donors, I have been able to receive regular blood transfusions and live a fairly normal life and I’m grateful for that.”

In March, due to an unprecedented number of blood drive cancellations in response to the coronavirus outbreak, the Red Cross was facing a severe blood shortage. Jalen was contacted by Norton Infusion Center and informed that they were unsure if she would be able to receive her scheduled transfusion in April.

“This would have been the first blood transfusion I have ever missed, and I was really worried about that,” said Jalen. “But they called the week before the red cell exchange and said ‘we have blood. Come on in.’”

Thanks to the many who gave blood over the last month, Jalen was able to receive her red blood cell exchange. Blood donors are still needed to ensure blood products are readily available for weeks to come.

To those who may be hesitant to give blood, Jalen added, “It’s a rewarding experience to know you have helped save someone’s life. With COVID-19, this might be one of the times people like me need blood the most. If we can’t get the blood we need, we may have further complications. If those who depend on blood transfusions catch coronavirus, it could be more severe if blood isn’t available.”

The Red Cross encourages individuals to make an appointment to give blood by downloading the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org, calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or enabling the Blood Donor Skill on any Alexa Echo device.