Michael Jordan’s mother Delores Jordan advocates blood donation for sickle cell disease

Deloris Jordan, the mother of NBA great Michael Jordan, is encouraging African Americans to donate blood that could be used to treat patients with sickle cell disease.

Jordan visited the Solvay Towers Dayton Center on Thursday to discuss the local blood bank’s efforts to increase minority blood donors.

“Our program goal is to increase Solvita’s minority blood donor population from 3 percent to 8 percent by the end of 2024 through blood donation education, partnerships with neighboring organizations, and breaking down barriers and stereotypes surrounding blood donation,” said President Alayna Maxon Said Solvita, a member of the Minority Blood Inclusion Committee.

Sickle cell disease is a group of inherited red blood cell disorders that can cause a persistent shortage of red blood cells or anemia, the Centers for Disease Control says. Red blood cells contain hemoglobin, a protein that carries oxygen. The red blood cells in sickle cell disease are abnormally shaped, causing the cells to die prematurely.

exploreMichael Jordan’s mother visits Kettering Organizing Center that partners with her foundation

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, sickle cell disease blocks blood flow when abnormally shaped red blood cells pass through small blood vessels. This can lead to pain and other health problems, such as infections, acute chest syndrome, and stroke.

Sickle cell disease primarily affects people whose ancestors come from sub-Saharan Africa, South America, the Caribbean, Central America, Saudi Arabia, India and Mediterranean countries such as Turkey, Greece and Italy, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About one-third of black or African-American babies are born with sickle cell trait.

Dayton senior Jeffrey Mims, Jr., a former football and track and field coach, spoke Thursday about some of the challenges kids with sickle cell disease face playing sports. Mims also talked about coaching a young Ron Harper to play football instead of basketball. Harper, a Dayton native, was an NBA star who later played alongside Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen in Chicago.

Jordan visited the Solvita Dayton Center to meet with Mims, sickle cell patient Camron Rucker and the Solvita Minority Blood Inclusion Committee to discuss recruiting more African American donors to better treat sickle cell disease and other needs Progression of disease in donor blood transfusions. Matching ethnic background.

Maxon said Solvita has increased the minority blood donation rate from 4.8% to 6.2% and is expected to continue to increase the minority blood donation rate to 7% by the end of the year.

“Sickle cell causes damage,” said Rucker, a sickle cell patient at Dayton Children’s Hospital.

exploreThe blood center and tissue center were renamed Solvita

Jordan encouraged Locke to keep going.

“You can get over (the disease)… Karen, I hope you consider getting over it,” Jordan said. Jordan said he should set goals and continue to encourage Rucker and Solvita’s employees that “nothing happens without hard work.”

Jordan is also visiting Ohio to raise donations of medical equipment from Midmark for the Kenya Center for Women and Children’s Health. The Wellness Center is the first project of the James R. Jordan Foundation. Jordan established the foundation in 2000 in memory of her late husband, James.

“Have hope,” Jordan said. “It starts in your head and your heart.”

Midmark has been a sponsor of the Solvita blood drive since 2011. Midmark hosts monthly employee blood drives at its Versailles campus and sponsors six community blood drives annually at the Knights of Columbus Hall.