Robin has lived with sickle cell disease for her entire life and depends on lifesaving blood donations to treat complications from the disease. “Blood transfusions are vital for me,” she said. “Without it, I don’t think I would probably be here today.” In the U.S., it is estimated that over 100,000 people like Robin – the majority of whom are of African descent – have sickle cell disease and may require blood transfusions throughout their lifetime to help manage their disease. 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 through the Sickle Cell Initiative to grow the number of blood donors who are Black. To learn more about the initiative and how you can help, visit http://RedCrossBlood.org/ourblood. Thank you to our supporter, FedEx, for producing this video. #sicklecellwarriors #sicklecellanemia #redcross

Important considerations for utilizing red blood cell transfusions in the management of sickle cell disease.

Sickle cell disease is an inherited blood disorder that causes red blood cells to deform and become sickle (or crescent) shaped. Gene therapy and gene editing may offer a one-time treatment that addresses the genetic cause of sickle cell disease. The subtitling of these videos was funded in part by a donation from Pfizer, Inc.