Please support our South Carolina's Sickle Cell Initiative: every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood. For people battling sickle cell disease-the most common genetic blood disorder in the U.S., affecting about 100,000 people, primarily of African descent-regular transfusions are essential to managing painful and life-threatening symptoms. Unfortunately, there are frequent shortages of the right type of blood to meet this need. The American Red Cross is dedicated to identifying the best possible matches for blood transfusion for people living with sickle cell disease.