Puget Sound Blood Center Receives $1 Million Grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to Encourage Blood Donation by People of Color

SEATTLE -- The Puget Sound Blood Center announced today that it has received a $1 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to increase blood donations by people of color. Blood Center officials say a more racially diverse blood supply is critical for minority patients who require frequent blood transfusions.

"A more racially diverse blood supply will benefit all patients undergoing medical procedures requiring blood," said Richard Counts, executive director of the Puget Sound Blood Center. "Many advances in cancer treatment, organ transplantation and blood disorders require tremendous transfusion support. Such lifesaving treatments carry the serious risk of immune reaction for patients with blood types rarely found in the community blood supply."

Blood types are determined by proteins on the surface of red blood cells called antigens – the major antigens being A and B. Other less prominent antigens, such as U and K, are common in populations of European heritage, but rarely found in those of Asian or African-American descent. Exposure to foreign antigens can cause the body to produce antibodies that destroy blood cells containing these foreign antigens. Finding compatible blood can be extremely difficult if a patient is "sensitized" to antigens common to Caucasians, who comprise 98 percent of the blood donor population.

Many patients with sickle cell disease are dependent on monthly blood transfusions to protect them from stroke or life-threatening lung disease. With transfusion there is a chance of a subtle mismatch in the blood type transfused, which can lead to the development of antibodies. Antibodies to most blood types make it difficult to find units of blood that can be safely transfused.

"For patients needing transfusions for years on end, this can significantly compromise their chance of tolerating the needed transfusions," said Dr. Bender, director of the Sickle Cell Clinic at Odessa Brown Medical Center. "Thus, any improvement in the ability to find fully compatible blood will significantly help these patients. It is my hope that this grant will provide the resources to significantly raise awareness of the need for blood donors from the African-American community, as well as donors of all ethnic backgrounds."

The grant will fund a three-year grassroots program involving public presentations, advertising, and blood drives at area churches, businesses and other minority-focused events and organizations.

The nonprofit Puget Sound Blood Center is the primary resource for patients in western Washington who need blood, tissue and specialized laboratory services. Founded in 1944, the Blood Center has a long and unique tradition of blending community volunteerism and medical science. The Blood Center serves patients in more than 70 hospitals and clinics with blood services, and provides tissue and transplantation support to 185 hospitals across the Northwest.