WE NEED BLACK BLOOD DONORS
During the month of February I teamed up with Hema Quebec to bring awareness to the lack of blood donations within the black community. As I entered this partnership and learned more about how important it is to have blood donors from your ethic background it became imperative for me to get the message out in as many of my outlets as possible. In Quebec the black community is underrepresented in blood donation programs like @hemaquebec. As a person who has had numerous family members undergo surgeries and need blood transfusions afterwards, finding out the lack of blood donors in the black community shocked me. More black donors of all blood groups are needed to meet growing demand for better matched blood and a special subtype of blood which is more common in black people. One example is Sickle cell disease which is a condition particularly common to people of African or Caribbean descent that causes abnormally-shaped red blood cells. Yes, different races can safely swap blood, so it may come as a surprise to hear a specific call for black donors. Why? Sickle-cell anemia patients develop fewer bad reactions to donated blood that’s as close a match to their own as possible. More black blood donors would help these patients have successful transfusions. As the patient receives transfusion on a regular basis, he may develop transfusion reactions. To minimise that risk, it is better to have a blood transfusion that share similar genetic background. The fact is sickle-cell anemia can be extremely painful and cause life-threatening infections because these misshapen, sickle-shaped cells do not carry oxygen efficiently around the body.It can also lead to stroke or loss of vision. Blood transfusions help to reduce and prevent these symptoms. To get the best treatment, patients need closely matched blood, which is most likely to come from someone with the same ethnicity. Having the right mix of donors and blood types is essential to ensure we meet the needs within our community and help people who need lifesaving treatment. Below you will find all the key locations of WHERE to donate blood in Quebec as well as WHO can donate. This is something I am going to take seriously to help our community and I am hoping you will too
WHO CAN DONATE:
https://www.hema-quebec.qc.ca/sang/donneur-sang/puis-je-donner/index.en.html
WHERE YOU CAN DONATE:
https://www.hema-quebec.qc.ca/sang/donneur-sang/ou-quand-donner-sang/index.en.html