ENCINITAS, CA – September is Sickle Cell Awareness Month. The American Red Cross emphasizes the importance of a diverse blood supply and encourages people to donate blood to help meet the needs of people with sickle cell anemia, the most common inherited blood disorder in the United States.
Sickle cell disease affects more than 100,000 people across the country, most of whom are of African descent. According to the Red Cross, one in three African-American blood donors are a match for people with sickle cell disease, which distorts soft, round blood cells and makes them hard and crescent-shaped and can cause severe pain.
“When the cells harden, they can lodge in blood vessels, which can lead to stroke and organ failure,” said Dr. Ross Herron, chief medical officer of the American Red Cross. “Transfusions provide healthy blood cells, unclog blood vessels and deliver oxygen, minimizing the crises associated with sickle cell patients.”
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Red Cross blood drives are held throughout San Diego County, including Encinitas. See the list of upcoming blood tests below. Donors are asked to make an appointment before arriving for the blood sample.
Blood Donation Opportunities
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20.09.2022: at 12.00. – 6 p.m., The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1444 Lake Drive
9/26/2022: 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m., Shoppes at Carlsbad, 2525 El Camino Real
9/26/2022: 11:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m., Chula Vista Center, 555 Broadway, Suite 1088
9/29/2022: 10:30 a.m. – 5 p.m., Best Buy, 1046 N. El Camino Real
09/29/2022: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM Christ the King Lutheran Church, 1620 S Stage Coach Lane
09/23/2022: 10:00 AM – 4:30 PM Osler Lane, Biomedical Research Facility 2, 9500 Gilman Drive
9/27/2022: 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Residence Inn, 8901 Gilman Drive
9/22/2022: 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m., La Mesa Community Center, 4975 Memorial Drive
24.09.2022: 10.00 – 16.30, shop & Dine La Mesa, 5630 Lake Murray Blvd.
25.09.2022: 8:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m., St. Martin of Tours Catholic Church, 7710 El Cajon Blvd.
9/20/2022: 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m., Martin Luther King Community Center, 140 E 12th St.
09/29/2022: 1:30 PM – 7:00 PM, Oceanside Masonic Center, 511 Eucalyptus
9/29/2022: 8:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., Oceanside Masonic Center, 511 Eucalyptus
9/22/2022: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM, Poway Branch Library, 13137 Poway Road
26.09.2022: 9:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m., St. Bartholomews Episcopal Church, 16275 Pomerado Road
9/20/2022: 8:00am – 2:00pm Ramona High School, 1401 Hanson Lane
9/20/2022: 10:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., San Diego State University Aztec Walk, 5500 Campanile Drive
9/20/2022: 12:15 PM – 7:15 PM, Kearny Mesa Blood Donor Center, 4229 Ponderosa Ave., Suite C
9/21/2022: 12:15 PM – 7:15 PM, Kearny Mesa Blood Donor Center, 4229 Ponderosa Ave., Suite C
9/21/2022: 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM Rancho Bernardo Church, 11740 Bernardo Plaza Court
9/21/2022: 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM, The Heights Golf Club, 16066 Bernardo Heights Parkway
22.09.2022: at 13.00. – 7 p.m., SD First Baptist Church, 5055 Governor Drive
9/22/2022: 10:45 a.m. – 5:45 p.m., Kearny Mesa Blood Donor Center, 4229 Ponderosa Ave., Suite C
9/22/2022: 9:00 AM – 3:30 PM CAI San Diego Community Outreach Blood Drive at SeaBreeze Management, 9350 Waxie Way, Suite 400
9/23/2022: 8:15 a.m. – 3:15 p.m., Kearny Mesa Blood Donor Center, 4229 Ponderosa Ave., Suite C
09/24/2022: 7:45am – 2:45pm, Kearny Mesa Blood Donor Center, 4229 Ponderosa Ave., Suite C
09/25/2022: 7:45am – 2:45pm, Kearny Mesa Blood Donor Center, 4229 Ponderosa Ave., Suite C
9/26/2022: 12:15 PM – 7:15 PM, Kearny Mesa Blood Donor Center, 4229 Ponderosa Ave., Suite C
9/27/2022: 12:15 PM – 7:15 PM, Kearny Mesa Blood Donor Center, 4229 Ponderosa Ave., Suite C
9/27/2022: 9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m., Westview High School, 13500 Camino Del Sur
9/28/2022: 12:15 PM – 7:15 PM, Kearny Mesa Blood Donor Center, 4229 Ponderosa Ave., Suite C
9/28/2022: 8:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m., UC San Diego Health Hillcrest, 132 Dickinson St.
9/29/2022: 10:45 a.m. – 5:45 p.m., Kearny Mesa Blood Donor Center, 4229 Ponderosa Ave., Suite C
9/30/2022: 10:30 a.m. – 5 p.m., 4S Ranch Branch Library, 10433 Reserve Drive
9/30/2022: 8:15 a.m. – 3:15 p.m., Kearny Mesa Blood Donor Center, 4229 Ponderosa Ave., Suite C
09/20/2022: 9:30am – 4:00pm, California State University San Marcos Kellogg Plaza, 333 S Twin Oaks Valley Road
09/21/2022: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM Cabin on Lake San Marcos, 1105 La Bonita Drive
9/28/2022: 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM, Palomar College, 1140 West Mission Road
9/28/2022: 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM, Rock Church, 1370 W San Marcos Blvd.
9/29/2022: 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM, Palomar College, 1140 West Mission Road
9/28/2022: 11:30 a.m. – 6 p.m., Chick Fil A, 9418 Mission Gorge Road
09/28/2022: 9:30am – 3:30pm, Avalon, 701 Breeze Hill Road
What To Know About Giving Blood
All blood types are required. Interested in donating? Download the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit RedCrossBlood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) for more information or to schedule an appointment.
A blood donor card or driver’s license or two other identification documents are required for registration.
Individuals who are 17 years of age in most states (16 with parental consent if state law allows), weigh at least 110 pounds, and are in generally good health can donate blood. High school students and other donors age 18 and younger must also meet certain height and weight requirements.
Donors can save time by using RapidPass to complete their Pre-Donation Reading and Health History Questionnaire online on the day of their donation before arriving for their blood draw.
The rules of replying:
If the mother-to-be and the father-to-be are both neither positive nor negative for the Rh factor, it is called Rh incompatibility. For example: if an Rh-negative woman and an Rh-positive man have a child, the fetus may have inherited Rh-positive blood from the father.
What does having the sickle cell trait mean?
What is sickle cell trait? Sickle cell trait (SCT) is not a disease, but having it means that a person has inherited the sickle cell gene from one of their parents. People with SCT usually have no symptoms of sickle cell disease (SCD) and live normal lives.
How does sickle cell trait affect the body? SCD affects red blood cells. People with SCD have hemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying component of red blood cells, that does not work properly. This impaired hemoglobin causes red blood cells, which are normally flat discs, to become crescent shaped. The cells look like a sickle, a tool used in agriculture.
What is the benefit of having sickle cell trait?
Sickle cell trait confers a survival advantage against malarial deaths compared to people with normal hemoglobin in areas where malaria is endemic. This feature is known to result in significantly fewer deaths from malaria, especially when Plasmodium falciparum is the causative agent.
What can be a benefit of having a gene for sickle cell anemia?
Advantages of Gene Therapy The main advantage of gene therapy is that it is a potentially curative treatment like a bone marrow transplant. After the therapy, the health crisis caused by sickle cell anemia would no longer be a threat.
What does it mean when you have sickle cell trait?
People who inherit one sickle cell gene and one normal gene have sickle cell trait (SCT). People with SCT usually do not have symptoms of sickle cell disease (SCD), but they can pass the trait on to their children.
Can sickle cell trait cause problems?
Complications include muscle breakdown (rhabdomyolysis), decreased blood supply to the spleen (ischemia/infarction), or increased eye pressure following eye injuries (glaucoma). Finally, a very rare form of kidney cancer (renal medullary carcinoma) has been associated with sickle cell trait.
Do people with sickle cell trait have issues?
Sickle cell trait is a blood disorder that runs in families. In some cases, the red blood cells may form a sickle or crescent shape, but for most people, the blood cells are normal and round. People with SCT usually do not experience health problems due to this trait, but it can happen.
Can sickle cell trait go into crisis?
Unlike sickle cell disease, patients with sickle cell features do not experience crises. They are mostly asymptomatic. Their presentation is similar to patients with normal hemoglobin.
How long do you live with sickle cell trait?
Results. Among children and adults with sickle cell anemia (homozygous for sickle cell hemoglobin), the median age of death was 42 years for men and 48 years for women. Among patients with sickle cell hemoglobin C disease, the median age of death was 60 years for men and 68 years for women.
Can sickle cell trait cause death?
Sickle cell trait is not a benign condition and continues to be associated with sudden death in people during extreme exercise. Although many factors can cause exertional collapse in people with sickle cell trait, the exact mechanism is not fully understood.
How serious is sickle cell trait?
Unlike sickle cell disease, a serious disease in which patients have two genes that cause the production of abnormal hemoglobin (a substance in red blood cells that helps transport oxygen), individuals with sickle cell trait carry only one defective gene and usually live normal lives.
Can someone with sickle cell trait donate blood?
Yes. If you have sickle cell trait, you can still donate blood. There is no evidence that donating blood causes additional harm or risk of injury to people with sickle cell trait.
Which blood type can be donated to sickle cell? Many black people have different markers on their red blood cells, making their donations ideal for helping patients with sickle cell disease. More than half of black blood donors have blood that does not contain C, E, and K antigens—so they are best suited for patients with sickle cell disease.
What blood type is sickle cell trait?
Sickle cell syndrome (AS) is not a type of sickle cell disease. It is an inherited condition in which red blood cells produce both hemoglobin A and S, always more A than S. Individuals with sickle cell trait are generally healthy.
Can you give blood if you have sickle cell trait?
Is it safe to donate blood for people with sickle cell trait? Yes. If you have sickle cell trait, you can still donate blood. There is no evidence that donating blood causes additional harm or risk of injury to people with sickle cell trait.
What is the difference between sickle cell and sickle cell trait?
What is the difference between sickle cell trait and sickle cell disease? People with sickle cell trait have only one copy of the altered hemoglobin gene and rarely have clinical symptoms associated with the disease. In contrast, people with sickle cell disease have two copies of the altered hemoglobin gene.
Why can’t people with sickle cell trait donate blood?
If you have sickle cell disease, you cannot donate. If you have sickle cell trait, you can donate whole blood; however, your blood may clog the filter applied to the whole blood units of the blood bank.
What reasons would you not be able to donate blood?
What are the top 10 excuses for not donating blood?
- âI AM AFRAID OF NEEDLES.â …
- “OTHERS GIVE ENOUGH.†…
- “MY BLOOD GROUP IS NOT REQUIRED.†…
- “THEY WOULD NOT WANT MY BLOOD BECAUSE OF THE DISEASES I HAVE HAD.
- âI AM AFRAID OF GETTING SICK.â …
- “I DON’T HAVE ANY BLOOD TO DONATE.†…
- “MY BLOOD IS NOT RICH ENOUGH.â€
Why can’t females donate platelets?
For pregnant women, their platelet donations are tested for human leukocyte antigen (HLA) antibodies. Antibodies to human leukocyte antigens (HLA) in the blood can cause side effects in patients receiving blood, including lung injury and a poor response to platelet transfusions.
Is there a downside to donating platelets? Although most people feel fine after donating platelets, a few may feel light-headed or dizzy, have an upset stomach, or have bruising or pain where the needle was inserted.
What makes you ineligible to donate platelets?
What conditions would make you unsuitable as a donor? You cannot donate blood or platelets if: you have tested positive for hepatitis B or C, you have lived with or had sex with someone who has hepatitis B or symptomatic hepatitis C in the last 12 months.
Why can’t some people donate platelets?
There are some reasons why you may not be able to donate platelets, even if you have given blood or platelets in the past. Reasons why you can never donate include: Blood transfusion. who have most types of cancer.
Can donating platelets harm you?
Donating platelets is a safe process.
Can females donate platelets UK?
* We have currently suspended recruitment of new female platelet donors throughout Scotland. This is because we need to introduce an additional blood test for female platelet donors to ensure the safety of platelet transfusions.
Can O positive donate platelets?
People with A, B, AB, AB, and O blood types should consider donating platelets to ensure optimal compatibility with the greatest number of recipients. Platelet donors can donate once every 7 days, up to 24 times a year.
Can anyone donate platelets to anyone?
Platelets from donors with these blood types are safe to give to almost anyone, and hospitals are in constant need of them. Hospital demand may change in the future and we may need donors with other blood types.
Why can only males donate platelets?
The male-only requirement may seem strange, but it’s because of a serious condition called transfusion-related acute lung injury (TRALI). This is a rare but sometimes fatal condition that can cause breathing difficulties and low blood oxygen after a blood transfusion.
Can anyone donate platelets to anyone?
The conditions for donating platelets are the same as for donating whole blood. If you meet the minimum requirements to donate whole blood, you may be able to donate platelets.
Why can you receive platelets from anyone?
Platelets are not as type-specific as red blood cells, meaning that most patients can receive platelets from donors of any blood type, regardless of the patient’s blood type. Because platelets only last FIVE days, patients always need them.
Does a sickle cell trait affect you?
Sickle cell trait is a blood disorder that runs in families. In some cases, the red blood cells may form a sickle or crescent shape, but for most people, the blood cells are normal and round. People with SCT usually do not experience health problems due to this trait, but it can happen.
What advantages does a person with sickle cell trait really have? Sickle cell trait confers a survival advantage against malarial deaths compared to people with normal hemoglobin in areas where malaria is endemic. This feature is known to result in significantly fewer deaths from malaria, especially when Plasmodium falciparum is the causative agent.
How long do you live with sickle cell trait?
Results. Among children and adults with sickle cell anemia (homozygous for sickle cell hemoglobin), the median age of death was 42 years for men and 48 years for women. Among patients with sickle cell hemoglobin C disease, the median age of death was 60 years for men and 68 years for women.
How many years do sickle cell patients live?
People with sickle cell disease (SCD) face many challenges, including episodes of severe pain, strokes, and organ damage.
Can sickle cell trait cause death?
Sickle cell trait is not a benign condition and continues to be associated with sudden death in people during extreme exercise. Although many factors can cause exertional collapse in people with sickle cell trait, the exact mechanism is not fully understood.
What does it mean if you have the sickle cell trait?
People with sickle cell trait (SCT) have 1 sickle cell gene and 1 normal gene. Sickle cell trait is not the same as sickle cell disease (SCD). Sickle cell trait means you can pass sickle cell trait or disease to your children. People with sickle cell trait live normal lives.
Can sickle cell trait cause health problems?
Complications include muscle breakdown (rhabdomyolysis), decreased blood supply to the spleen (ischemia/infarction), or increased eye pressure following eye injuries (glaucoma). Finally, a very rare form of kidney cancer (renal medullary carcinoma) has been associated with sickle cell trait.
Does sickle cell trait go away?
NO! Sickle cell trait does not convert to sickle cell anemia. Will my child become anemic due to sickle cell trait? Usually, a person with sickle cell trait does not become anemic and lives a healthy and normal life without needing treatment.
Can someone with sickle cell trait have symptoms?
Most people with SCT do not have symptoms of SCD, although in rare cases, people with SCT can develop complications of SCD, such as pain crises.
Do people with sickle cell trait suffer?
Most people with SCT do not have symptoms of SCD, although “rarely†people with SCT can develop complications of SCD, such as “pain crises†and in extreme cases, sudden death. More research is needed to find out why some people with SCT have complications and others do not.
Can sickle cell trait cause problems?
Complications include muscle breakdown (rhabdomyolysis), decreased blood supply to the spleen (ischemia/infarction), or increased eye pressure following eye injuries (glaucoma). Finally, a very rare form of kidney cancer (renal medullary carcinoma) has been associated with sickle cell trait.
