In 2007, while pregnant with their first child, his wife Omowunmi discovered she was a sickle cell trait carrier through prenatal testing. Keeping in mind his own need for compatible blood units, David has also had to consider the transfusion needs of his immediate family. However, I have heard of occasions when blood transfusions were due to a lack of blood donations.” “Thank God, I have never been in a situation where I needed blood and it was not available. “ my body rejects blood from the transfusions, causes the need for more blood,” said David, who has type B positive blood. Yet, 1 in 3 African American blood donors are a match for people with sickle cell disease – making the need for blood donors who are Black critical to the ongoing care of sickle cell warriors like David. While being treated for the strokes, he required closely compatible blood donations to prevent further complications.įrequent transfusions can make finding compatible blood types more difficult when patients develop an immune response against blood from donors that is not closely matched to the blood of the recipient. Over the years, David has received countless blood transfusions to treat pain, complications, and multiple transient ischemic attacks (TIA), or ministrokes. He also became a proud member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., married his high school sweetheart and became a father. David persevered past his pain and successfully completed college at Morgan State University and later University of Phoenix. ![]() “That is very scary to think about.”Īt 18 years old, this painful disease disrupted his dreams of joining the military and becoming a law enforcement officer when he experienced a bout with acute chest syndrome. “Whenever I have received a blood transfusion, it was because it was a matter of life or death,” said David. For patients battling the disease like David, regular blood transfusions are critical to managing extreme pain and life-threatening complications. The most common genetic blood disorder in the U.S., sickle cell disease can cause severe pain, tissue and organ damage and even strokes. was born with sickle cell disease but was not diagnosed until the age of two after suffering a pain crisis.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |