September is Sickle Cell Awareness Month and the American Red Cross is partnering with a variety of organizations that research and combt the disease by offering blood donor sites specifically for African-Americans who most often are the genetic group impacted by sickle cell disease.

According to statistics, one in three people who are of African-American descent will suffer from sickle cell. Most develop an negative immune system response to generic blood that makes it impossible for them to obtain transfusions. These people must have blood that comes from a donor with similar DNA that closely matches the unique red blood structure of an African-American.

To help with finding donors who match with sickle cell sufferers, Bartlesville, Nowata and Tahlequah are hosting blood drives in September.

Bartlesville will hold its blood drive on September 19 from 11:30 am to 5:30 pm at the Public Library at 600 South Johnstone Avenue. Another blood drive will be held on September 28 from 7 am to 7 pm at the Jane Phillips Medical Center at 3500 East Frank Phillips.

The Nowata blood drive is September 22 from 12:30 to 6:30 pm at the Jane Phillips Nowata Health Center on 237 South Locust Street.

And in Tahlequah, the Cherokee Nation will host the blood drive on September 26 from 12:30 to 6:30 pm at the Armory Municipal Center, 100 North Water.

Reservations are required due to COVID restrictions so you must sign up ahead of time at the ARC.org website.