Could you save a Life?
Raising awareness and normalising blood donation in the Black community through youth empowered social action.
1 Donation could save or improve up to 3 Lives
Whether your donation is used in an emergency, after surgery or as a part of a regular transfusion, you could help up to three people every time you give blood.
Why Black Donors?
Ro Subtype
The Ro subtype is a variation of the Rh positive blood type.
You might have it if you have O positive, A positive, B positive or AB positive blood.
The Ro subtype is more than 10 times as common in individuals from Black African or Black Caribbean ethnic backgrounds, than in individuals from other ethnic backgrounds.
Sickle Cell Disease
Ro blood is vital in treating sickle cell – a group of inherited blood conditions that affect red blood cells.
The condition is often treated with regular blood transfusions so subtypes, such as Ro, are important in ensuring patients get blood which is most compatible with their blood type and subtype.
Many people with sickle cell have the Ro subtype. This is because sickle cell more commonly affects people from black ethnic backgrounds where the Ro subtype is more common.
Blood transfusions can make a huge difference to people with sickle cell.