GENERAL ASSEMBLY'S BLACK CAUCUS WORKS TO INCREASE BLOOD DONATIONS (1173 hits)
SPRINGFIELD, Ill.— The Illinois Coalition of Community Blood Centers is working with the General Assembly's Black Caucus to increase blood donations in the African-American community. The campaign is called "Make Every Drop Count."
Rare blood traits and certain diseases like sickle cell anemia are more prevalent among African-Americans and require frequent blood transfusions.
Dr. Louis Katz is executive vice president of medical affairs at Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center, and he says a well-matched blood transfusion is the difference between life, disability and death for some patients.
Katz says 30 percent of sickle-cell patients develop antibodies that destroy transfused blood cells. The antibodies make it almost impossible to find compatible blood outside African-American donations.
Coalition president Ann McKanna says nationally African-Americans donate less than 1 percent of the country's blood supply.
