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Albany High School held its first blood donation drive of the school year on Wednesday, and its organizers hope it helps boost the nation’s critically low blood supply and diversify the pool of donors.

Students, staff and community members were encouraged to donate, and Superintendent Joseph Hochreiter and Board of Education President Vickie Smith rolled up their sleeves, as well. The event was coordinated by seniors Jakiem Walden and Jazlyn Goroursingh under the direction of librarian Alicia Abdul.

The drive will help address critical blood shortages that the American Red Cross is experiencing after weather disasters this summer depleted supplies nationwide. Albany High also is participating again this year in the Red Cross “Sickle Cell Fighter” program, which focuses on registering more African-American donors to help diversify the blood supply.

According to the Red Cross, many Black individuals have unique protein structures on their red blood cells that make their donations the most compatible blood, with reduced risk of complications, for those living with sickle cell disease.

The issue is a personal one for coordinators Walden and Goroursingh. Both have family members affected by sickle cell disease, the most common genetic disease in the United States.

About 100,000 Americans – primarily people of African descent – currently live with sickle cell. There is no readily available cure for the disease, and frequent blood transfusions help reduce its painful symptoms.

The Red Cross reports that only about 4% of blood donors nationally are of African descent. About 27% of Albany High’s donors were African-American. The Red Cross was very complimentary of our students’ outstanding efforts to assist them in their work to diversify the blood supply and support the needs of sickle cell patients.

If Albany High reaches goals set for each of the three drives this year, Walden and Goroursingh will be in the running to receive scholarships from the Red Cross.

The second blood drive of the year will be held in January.

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