What are some of the biggest challenges facing a blood center today? Collecting blood from a diverse donor population is essential for maintaining a stable and well-supplied blood bank. A diverse donor population ensures an adequate supply of blood and blood-related products that can be used for different medical treatments and emergencies. It’s crucial to…
In blood banking, an alloantibody may be formed in response to pregnancy, transfusion, or transplantation. This alloantibody is targeted against a blood group antigen that is not present on the recipient’s red blood cells. This is a natural process as your body tries to defend itself from foreign substances. This process is called alloimmunization. People living with sickle cell disease…
The greatest moments in my life were learning that I would be a father. I have three awesome children: Jetta, James II, and Jaleece. Notice the theme with the spelling of the names. My two youngest, James and Jaleece, are my Sickle Cell Warriors because both were diagnosed with Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) at birth.…
At MEDIC Regional Blood Center, we collect blood for the local hospitals of East Tennessee. Often, there are patients at these hospitals who have special transfusion needs or have a need for “rare blood.” One such group are patients with sickle cell disease (SCD). What is Sickle Cell Disease? It’s a genetic blood disorder that…
