“If it wasn’t for those that donated, I probably would not be here before you today.”
Zee Wright is one of the thousands of people who have benefited from blood transfusions.
“I think that it saved my life, I was losing a lot of blood, I was having an emergency c-section and my blood pressure was dropping very fast,” Wright said.
Now, she’s paying it forward, one pint at a time by donating her blood to help those with chronic diseases, like sickle cell.
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“It’s important that we do our best to support these individuals,” Wright said.
One of the goals for this Prince George’s County blood drive is geared to those with sickle cell, an inherited blood disorder that causes abnormal red blood cells that block blood flow and can lead to serious complications.
“Stroke, Kidney Failure, causes a lot of bone pain, so giving them regular good blood helps to decrease all of those complications and the pain,” said Dr. Ivan Zama, the sickle cell medical director at University of Maryland Capital Region Medical Center.
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The UMCR says 35-40% of Marylanders with sickle cell live in Prince George's County.
That’s why Dr. Zima and the UMCR is putting out a call for more in the county to donate.
“Donating Blood is a good thing, because it’s something that has not been, people have not been doing in our community,” Dr. Zima said.
The Centers for Disease Control says in the U.S., more than 90% of sickle cell patients are African Americans and those of African ancestry.
Prince George's County Councilmember Calvin Hawkins, along with other donors, say they know or have lost someone to the disease.
“My mother was a sickle cell patient, if you will, and so I do this in memory of her and the challenges we would see her going through.” Hawkins said.
Their hope is to motivate others to give back by donating blood.
“It’s a chronic disease, it’s been around for years,” said blood donor Devina Johnson. “It’s very important. We need to help each other just like we do everyday in other things, so we need to help our brothers and sisters.”
