Sickle Cell Disease and the Lifesaving Power of Blood Donation in NYC

By Dr. Kaitlin Strumph, Assistant Director, Pediatric Sickle Cell Program, 

Children's Hospital at Montefiore 

Bronx Voice 

September 9, 2025

BRONX - Imagine a disease that causes you severe pain and organ damage, yet no one around you can see that it is happening. This is the reality for people living with Sickle Cell Disease (SCD).

SCD affects 100,000 people in the United States. Here in the Bronx, our team at the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore cares for approximately 700 children living with the disease. By educating our community about SCD, we hope you will join us in supporting people with SCD through awareness, advocacy, and blood donation.

What is Sickle Cell Disease?

SCD is a disorder that changes the shape of red blood cells, causing them to resemble a crescent or “sickle” shape, similar to a sickle used by farmers. Normal red blood cells are round and flexible, moving easily throughout the body. Sickle-shaped cells break down more quickly, causing anemia. They can also stick together, blocking the flow of oxygen to vital organs. This can result in painful episodes, known as pain crises, as well as heart, lung and bone damage, strokes, infections, kidney failure, and shortened life expectancy.

Why Blood Transfusions Matter

For many people with SCD, a blood transfusion is one of the best treatments we have. Transfusions can be used to replace the unhealthy sickle cells with healthy red blood cells that can reduce the complications of the disease. A child with SCD may need transfusions to prevent strokes, treat severe anemia, or help them during life-threatening complications. Some children with SCD require regular monthly transfusions throughout their entire lives.

Unfortunately, giving blood transfusions is not simple, since not all blood is the same. Beyond the well-known blood types (A, B, AB, and O), there are many other proteins on red blood cells. If the proteins on the donor blood do not closely match with the person receiving the blood, then the person getting blood can develop antibodies, an immune response that makes blood transfusions more difficult and often dangerous. Because most people in the Bronx with SCD are often of African, Caribbean, or Latin American descent, they often need blood from donors of similar backgrounds to ensure the safest match possible.

How You Can Help

Blood donations, especially from diverse communities, are so important for our patients with SCD. Every time you donate blood, you could be giving someone with SCD the chance to live with fewer complications, avoid or treat a stroke, enjoy more pain-free days, or possibly save their life. Your act of generosity, through blood donation, can turn into a lifetime of impact.

Other Treatments and Hope for the Future

In addition to transfusions, medications like hydroxyurea improve the health of red blood cells and reduce pain episodes. Newer therapies have also been developed in recent years to further improve anemia and reduce hospitalizations. Advances in research continue to occur.

Here at the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore, we offer the latest in SCD treatments including gene therapy, bone marrow transplants, clinical trials for new medications, and a state-of-the-art infusion center where patients can receive therapy. At our Pediatric Sickle Cell Center we take a comprehensive approach to care. Our team consists of experienced doctors, nurse practitioners, nurses, social workers, and therapists. The primary goal of treatment is to manage symptoms, prevent complications and improve overall quality of life. However, until a cure for every patient with SCD becomes available, blood transfusions remain a lifeline for many people.

A Call to Action

Sickle Cell Awareness Month is a time to support people with SCD and their families. We encourage everyone in the Bronx to show solidarity with friends, neighbors, and loved ones living with SCD—through advocacy, awareness, and, most urgently, by donating blood.