Community Engagement

This campaign was established to honor, Darryl Eugene Smith, of Durham, North Carolina, who passed away peacefully on July 3, 2018, after a lifelong battle with sickle cell disease. 

 

Although Darryl was diagnosed with sickle cell disease at 6 months old, he always grabbed life by the horns, pushed himself to the limit and embraced the consequential notion of possibility.  In addition, advocating for individuals with sickle cell disease was always important to Darryl.  He spoke at numerous conferences and organized several community events regarding educational awareness and treatment of people with the sickle cell disease. 

 

Due to the frequency of blood transfusions experienced by patients diagnosed with sickle cell anemia, the need is great for blood banks to be stocked with all blood types consisting of various combinations of antigens.  Thus, donating blood is very important!  The goal of this community service initiative is to encourage all to save a life by donating blood at their local American Red Cross.  A special invite is extended to those within the African American community, as most domestic sickle cell patients are those associated with the aforementioned population. 

 

Call to Action:

Join us in honoring Darryl's legacy of helping to educate and save lives.  Let's demonstrate solidarity and make a difference in the lives and families that desperately need us by donating blood.  

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Access the link below to make a pledge to donate blood/plasma in Darryl's honor.

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