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Renewed Hope for Patients In Need of Life-Saving Rare Blood; NY Blood Center 'Precise Match Blood Donor Program' Receives Gift
U.S. Newswire
06 June 2005
NEW YORK, June 6 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Last month, Davina Daniels, single mother from Springfield Gardens, Queens, was critically ill due to her continued struggle against sickle cell disease, a debilitating blood disorder affecting one in 500 African Americans. She was also suffering, and continues to suffer, from aplastic anemia rendering her body unable to produce red blood cells. Because of the numerous blood transfusions Davina has received over the years battling her condition, Ms. Daniels has developed antibodies to many blood antigens and can only receive blood from those of the same racial background. The problem was that when it was most needed, there were only two such units available in the NY/ NJ area.
While this time New York Blood Center (NYBC) and Davina's doctors were able to find enough blood product to save her life, there is no guarantee it will be there the next time it is needed, just as there is no guarantee for countless others in the same predicament.
However, today there is renewed hope for patients with this and various other conditions of the same seriousness that touch nearly every ethnic community in NY/NJ. Frederick W. Hill, executive vice president, marketing and communications, J.P. Morgan Chase & Co., visited New York Blood Center today to deliver much-needed support to the "Precise Match Blood Donor Program." The Precise Match Program is a world leader in the discovery and identification of rare blood antigens and has gone way beyond typical A, B and O blood typing to ensure that NY/NJ's diverse patient community has access to a more diverse supply of blood products.
Of the program, Hill commented: "Time and again, patients stricken with sickle cell disease, aplastic anemia and various forms of leukemia have received critical, life-saving transfusions because of the benefits derived from precise matching. JPMorgan is proud to support New York Blood Center's vital ability to extend these medical treatments to our community."
New York Blood Center president and CEO Dr. Robert Jones remarked, "We are incredibly grateful for the backing of The J.P. Morgan Chase Foundation. Their support and recognition of the health needs of our uniquely diverse community is appreciated by all of us here at New York Blood Center, and by the whole NY/NJ patient community." He added, "One thing everybody can do to help is to give blood whenever they are able, and when doing so, check off the ethnic background field as this is what enables us to identify and engage possible rare-blood donors."
Pascal George, vice president, head of New York Blood Center's "Precise Match Blood Donor Program" added, "Only through the generous support of organizations such as The J.P. Morgan Chase Foundation can NYBC continue to study this field, expand awareness of the importance of a diverse blood supply and recruit a greater number of donor's to meet the community's need for rare blood. For that we are grateful."
PHOTO(S) AVAILABLE Publication-ready photos supporting this story are available for free editorial use at: www.wirepix.com/newsphotos
New York Blood Center (NYBC), one of the nation's largest community blood organizations has been providing blood, transfusion products and services to patients in New York and New Jersey hospitals since 1964. The New York Blood Center is also home to the Lindsley F. Kimball Research Institute and the National Cord Blood Program, the nation's first and largest public cord blood bank. New York Blood Center operates a Clinical Services division as well as a Hemophilia Services division in collaboration with the Hemophilia Consortium -- providing critical drugs and blood products delivered to the homes of area hemophilia patients. New York Blood Center is not affiliated with the American Red Cross.
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