Sicke Cell Anemia: Howard University Triumphs.

                                                            By Kyra O. Davenport

According to Medine Plus, a website devoted to current health information, directly  assocaited with National Institute of Health says, "Sickle Cell Anemia is a disease in which your body produces ahbnormally shaped red blood cells. A genetic problem causes Sickle Cell Anemia. About 1in 12 African Americans has Sickle Cell trait. A blood test can show if you have the trait or the anemia." This disease is not discussed or publicized in the black community as much as disease such as Cancer and HIV/AIDS. It seems to be inadvertently swept under the rug, tucked away, silenced.Howard University Althletics Department was determined to put and end to that silence forever more.

Chondria Andrews, two time Howard University Alumna,B.A/M.A, and now a current employee of Howard University says, '"Our initial game plan was to contact the American Red Cross so that we could conduct our first a blood drive for Dc Residents and Howard University Students to serve two purposes, one to bring awareness, and two, their is a shortage of African American blood donors in the DC area as it relates to Sickle Cell Anemia, we wanted to make a contribution. After patiently waiting for a response we finally recieved word that they would sponsor us, well a fews days later we were taken aback when they informed us they would have to denied our requests because Howard students had shown low participation in blood donation."When is a lack of student participation a reason to give up on educating them abnd providing free testing? There is no such reason, you advertise and advocate stronger, you find a solution, and that is exactly what Ms. Andrews  and the other Athletics Department staff members did.

On February 16th after working tirelessly and effortlessly it was time to conduct The First Annual Howard University Sickle Cell Anemia blood drive hosted by the Howard University Athletics Department, Inova Blood Donor Services, and 30 other volunteer organizations had agreed at the 11th hour to participate/sponsor the blood drive. "We surpassed our original goal and we had a other services available at our event such as the National bone marrow registry and sickle cell testing." Nearly 100 students gave blood, we were so excited!says Andrews. African Americans deserve a chance to be involved, aware, and educated on diseases that directly affect our community, let alone all health diseases and issues in this country, it is appalling that the American Red Cross would give up so easily on the students. Leaders like Ms. Chondria Andrews who had the determination and tenacity to help black students gravitate toward health education and awareness could help the American Red Cross think twice about not sponsoring blood drives at historically black colleges or any college for that matter.