Dreylan Holmes relies on blood transfusions to treat sickle cell disease. His mother, Vesha Jamison, works for the American Red Cross as a sickle cell account manager responsible for recruiting diverse blood donors. Image: American Red Cross
scholarship at an establishment of higher education for a select recipient. Representatives from your school will determine the scholarship recipient based on Red Cross recommended criteria. The scholarship will be awarded in the recipient’s name to the institution of higher education that the student will attend or to the recipient’s 529 college savings account. Scholarship recipients will be encouraged to continue to support the Red Cross by hosting blood drives while in college. The scholarship distribution process must be completed by the sponsoring high school. Forthcoming information will be provided to recipient schools. By participating in the Sickle Cell Fighter High School Scholarship Program, your high school can help build a stronger community now, and for many years to come.
transfusions bring him back to life,” said his mother, Vesha Jamison. “He has more energy, and he’s able to get up and move around. There’s no other way to say it; the transfusions are lifesaving.” About 100,000 people in the U.S. have sickle cell disease, most of whom are of African descent. One in 3 African American blood donors are a match for people with sickle cell disease. To recruit a more diverse donor base to help patients like her son, Vesha joined the American Red Cross as a sickle cell account manager. “I imagine if we were sitting in the hospital right now waiting for him to have a transfusion and if we could not get blood,” she said. “It is personal, and I am very passionate about what we’re doing here.” Blood Donation Opportunities in Denver, Colorado The Denver community now has a new way to make a lifesaving impact through blood donation with the American Red Cross, continuing more than a century of Red Cross service in Colorado. Since April, Denverites can turn their compassion into action by giving blood at the Denver American Red Cross Blood Donation Center
Story of Hope: Dreylan Homes
Dreylan Holmes, 12, was diagnosed with sickle cell disease at 4 weeks old. As he’s grown, Dreylan has experienced numerous emergency room visits and hospital stays. He often depends on blood transfusions to treat unpredictable pain crises caused by the disease. “There have been times when he’s very depleted, and I say he looks puny and lifeless. Those blood
14 The Acumen
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