On Wednesday, January 30, 2008 the BloodCenter was honored to facilitate the first reunion for patients with sickle cell disease and their blood donors.  Bob Moore, a weather anchor and reporter for Fox 6 News Milwaukee, was the emcee for the event which took place at the YMCA Northside Branch in Milwaukee.

Sickle cell disease is an inherited disorder that primarily affects African-Americans.  The red blood cells in patients affected with this disease become stiff and sickle-shaped, which makes blood flow to organs and tissues very difficult.  Strokes are often a complication associated with sickle cell disease.  Patients who suffer from strokes receive frequent blood transfusions to prevent more strokes from happening.

Ten patients and nearly 30 donors participated in the reunion.  Moore gave each patient a brief introduction which included a list of their favorite things or their goals in life.  After the names of the donor or donors were called, the patient who benefited from the donation presented them with a token of appreciation.

Shon Nizer was one of the donors present at the reunion.  Shon said the reunion was a very emotional experience, her patient match was Angela Gill, a young professional who is very active in her church and one of the patients featured on many BloodCenter promotional materials.  Shon recalled meeting Angela, “It was very touching to find out who was receiving my blood.  I’ve seen her picture on some of our ads and I never knew I was helping her.”  Shon is one of four donors that help make a difference in Angela’s life.

One particular story resonated with many of the people that attended the reunion.  Demaray Dozier is a 5-year old who is full of life, enjoys going to school, as well as watching the movies Cars and Ratatouille.  Two weeks prior to the reunion, Demaray suffered from a stroke.  Demaray is able to lead a normal life thanks to his donor, Tylesha Mcray.

People diagnosed with sickle cell disease can begin receiving transfusions as young as six months and continue throughout their entire life.  Although these patients can receive blood from anyone, it has been found that the best matches come from someone with the same ethnic background; this is why the need for African-American donors is so high.

The first sickle cell patient/donor reunion was a project of BloodCenter of Wisconsin’s Community Blood Donation Program.  The goal of the program is to increase the number of African-American donors and positively impact healthcare for patients in the African-American community.