NIH Blood Bank

African American Whole Blood Donors Urgently Needed

Are you the one who'll make the difference?

The National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, urgently needs African Americans to donate blood for patients with sickle cell disease who are participating in clinical research studies at the NIH Clinical Center.

Until there is a cure, people with sickle cell disease need many blood transfusions throughout their life to stay healthy, fight crippling pain and avoid dangerous complications such as stroke.

The donor blood must closely match the patient's blood. Blood donated by African Americans is most often the closest or the only match.

NIH researchers are looking for new ways to treat and ultimately cure sickle cell disease.

If you are in good health and want to help, please call the NIH blood bank at (301) 496-1048 to find out if you are the one who'll make the difference.

Blood donor Rosa Lee Powell

Who gives blood?

People like Rosa Lee Powell, the first African-American woman to make 100 whole blood donations to the NIH blood bank.

Why Donate?

Sickle cell disease is an inherited
blood disorder that affects more than
100,000 African Americans in the U.S.

View more information about sickle cell disease.

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This page last updated on 10/18/2023

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