Over 500 hospital stays and countless blood transfusions and exchanges in her lifetime that she’s lost count, Jasmine has one goal in mind these days—to make it one complete year without having to be hospitalized. A mother of a 4- and 11-year-old, both who are also sickle cell trait carriers, she has much to live for and motivation to raise awareness for sickle cell disease, a disease she has lived with since birth, and desire to encourage her family and friends to be donors.
“At birth, my mother was told I had the sickle cell trait. My mother didn’t think much of it, and all was well until my brother was born and he tested positive for sickle cell disease. That’s when she [mother] had me retested and I too came back positive for sickle cell disease. After that, my mother’s journey included constant trips to the emergency room. When it wasn’t my brother, it was me in one crisis or another, but always, the both of us needing treatment which included blood transfusions,” recalled Jasmine
Thirty-two years later, Jasmine continues to fall into crisis, especially during weather changes. The one constant has been her mother who has stood by her without complaining or tears. “My mother was a single mother and many times she had to choose her job over being there for me when I’ve been in crisis. While she came close many times to losing her job, my mother stood by me and made sure I received the care I needed no matter how long it took,” said Jasmine. And many times, recovery was prolonged because of the lack of blood on the shelves that Jasmine desperately needed to help alleviate her pain.
“From the bottom of my heart, I appreciate all blood donors. Because of them, I’ve been able to pull through the worst of my crises—even those where I’ve coded, and my family thought I was not going to make it back. But donations are needed constantly. To my Black community—family and friends—your blood is needed for sickle cell patients like me. Your blood saves lives. Your blood has saved me,” stated Jasmine.
One in 3 African American blood donors are a match for people with sickle cell disease. To help ensure patients have the blood products they need, the American Red Cross is working with partners in the Black community to grow the number of blood donors who are Black. Foe sickle cell patients, regular blood transfusions are critical to manage extreme pain and life-threatening complications.
Please schedule a blood donation appointment today by visiting RedCrossBlood.org, using the Blood Donor App or calling 1-800-RED CROSS.
Written by Illinois Region Communications Manager, Connie Esparza
American Red Cross of Illinois 