Staple within Black British culture, BBC 1Xtra join forces with ACLT for 1Xtra Life.
On the 9th of December ACLT Charity and NHS Blood and Transplant hosted a special blood drive, supported by BBC 1Xtra, at Westfield White City.
The event had a roster of UK R&B singers, from the likes of Emerging R&B and Soul sensation and Producer, Kali Claire to Neo Soul and R&B artist Nia Chennai on the floors of Westfield to raise awareness of the lack of blood donors from the African Caribbean Community.
Hosted by DJ Ace, who has previously been supported by ACLT during his battle with kidney failure, the event seen more than 30 people donate blood and 47 register for the stem cell register.
“To get the best treatment, people need blood which is closely matched to their own. This is most likely to come from a blood donor of the same ethnicity. Yet only 2% of current blood donors are of Black heritage – that’s 19,300 people.”
The African Caribbean Leukaemia Trust (ACLT) is committed to providing hope to patients living will illnesses where a matched donor is required to save a life. Our collaborative goal is to spread awareness about the rising need and demand for stem cell, blood, and organ donors.
The event was packed and full of blood donations, but our efforts do not stop there – more needs to be done and ACLT will continually fight to give people within the African Caribbean Community the gift of life.
"Saturday’s event was off the chart, the collective effort to bring together music, members of the public and the ACLT supporters for a mutual cause was both inspiring and heart warming. Blood stocks usually dip from mid-December to January, for various reasons, like seasonal illnesses causing donors to miss their appointments. This can have severe consequences for anyone in need of blood during the winter period, particularly those living with Sickle Cell Disorder. In colder temperatures, the blood vessels shrink, making it harder for sickled red cells to pass through them, this puts them at greater risk of having a Sickle Cell crisis."
Want to donate but not sure where?
Blood
Organ
When you join the stem cell register, you’re a lifeline for a patient in need. You may never go on to donate but if you are a match, 90% of donations are through the blood stream.
Blood donation is an act you can do often. Men can donate every 12 weeks and women every 16 weeks. Each time you donate blood you can save up to three adult lives. And, when you pass away, there are up to 9 lives you can save as an organ donor.
Help Pablo…
Pablo needs a kidney, and his ethnicity should not be a factor in him receiving one or his survival. We all have the power to change this. So, I encourage everyone, particularly those of African Caribbean descent to step up.
Find out more on how you can become a living kidney donor and be a potential lifesaving match for Pablo.
“I don’t want to live like this for much longer and I want to be treated as an equal to everyone else again.”
