Community blood drives will raise awareness of sickle cell disease and support Project Little Veins | LifeSouth Community Blood Centers and the Richard Webster-Bass Health Institute (RWBHI) are partnering to host a series of community blood drives in Jacksonville to raise awareness about sickle cell disease and help strengthen the local blood supply.
Through LifeSouth’s Community Grant Program, RWBHI will receive support for Project Little Veins, founded by UNF student and sickle cell patient Fredrianna Webster-Bass. The iniative provides care packages filled with comfort items and essentials for sickle cell patients during hospital stays and treatment. Project Little Veins, a program of the Richard Webster-Bass Health Institute. RWBHI was founded by Selena Webster-Bass, Fredrianna’s aunt, in memory of her son, Richard, who died from complications of sickle cell disease before his second birthday. The Institute provides education, advocacy and support for individuals and families affected by sickle cell disease, along with scholarship programs for the community.
Blood donations are especially important for people living with sickle cell disease, who may require frequent or lifelong transfusions. Donors and patients who share similar ethnic and genetic backgrounds are more likely to be compatible matches, making a diverse local donor base particularly important.
Two drives, one at the University of North Florida on September 30 and another at Peace Missionary Baptist Church on October 1, have been completed. The final drive is on October 6 at Edward Waters University. See details below, and access visual assets here. Please help us get the word out about this important opportunity to support sickle cell patients in our community. LifeSouth Community Blood Centers is the only blood bank that keeps local blood local.
Florida carries one of the heaviest sickle cell disease burdens of any state in the country, with an estimated 13,886 people living with the disease statewide, according to a 2023 American Society of Hematology population model. State Medicaid data shows the disease disproportionately affects young Black Floridians, and patients frequently rely on hospital and emergency care to manage complications. Because sickle cell disease predominantly affects the Black community, and because donors and patients who share ethnic and genetic backgrounds are more likely to be compatible matches, a stable, diverse local blood supply is critical to patient care.
WHEN & WHERE:
Final Drive
Tuesday, Oct. 6 | 11:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Edward Waters University
1658 Kings Rd., Jacksonville, FL 32209 LCB_Project Little Veins Initia…
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About LifeSouth Community Blood Centers:
LifeSouth is a non-profit community blood bank serving more than 200 hospitals in Alabama, Florida, Georgia and Tennessee. LifeSouth is committed to meeting the blood supply needs of hospitals and their patients by providing the highest quality blood components and services. The LifeSouth team is dedicated to making sure the blood is there when a patient is in need. To learn more, visit LifeSouth.org. For more resources and information about blood donation, visit donatingblood.org.