Brenda Jank knows blood transfusions can be impactful for patients in need, like her son Josh, who was diagnosed with sickle cell disease as a baby.
“So many kids with sickle cell wrestle with pain but because of his frequent, monthly blood transfusions, Josh lived a pain free life as a child,” said Brenda.
Sickle cell disease impacts more than 100,000 people across the country, most of whom are of African descent. The disease distorts soft and round red blood cells and turns them hard and crescent shaped. As a result, patients can experience severe pain, tissue and organ damage, anemia and strokes.
As a 5-year-old boy, Brenda says doctors discovered Josh was high-risk for strokes, and had already experienced one minor stroke.
“So, he started blood transfusions, right off the bat, every month,” said Brenda.
Regular blood transfusions help patients with sickle cell manage extreme pain and life-threatening complications. Josh received frequent blood transfusions between ages five to 19 and Brenda estimates he received more than 400 units of blood from generous, volunteer donors.
“Blood donation saves lives, and it gives life. Joshua was just such a testimony to that,” said Brenda.
At age 19, Josh was diagnosed with a rare liver lung disease, which meant his liver was pumping out toxins and destroying his lungs. Patients with rare liver lung disease often require a liver transplant and have a two-year life expectancy, but because Josh had sickle cell disease, he was not a candidate for a liver transplant.
During the next decade of his life, Josh experienced good times and difficult times, but Brenda says he remained positive through it all.
“He lived so intentionally, with such joy,” said Brenda.
In 2023, Josh was diagnosed with end stage metastasized esophageal cancer. He died in November 2023, at the age of 29.
It has been less than a year since Josh passed away, and Brenda says her son’s passion and legacy live on. The Jank family continues to share Josh’s story to inspire people to make a difference and they share little red diamonds with friends, family, and strangers who may need a token of hope.
“It’s red because love makes a difference and it’s a diamond because God does amazing things under heat and pressure,” said Brenda. It’s the same message Josh shared with thousands of people as he handed out red diamonds.
Brenda wants to inspire people to make a difference by donating blood, which can help save a life. She encourages people to be a solution, in a world filled with problems.
“Sickle cell, for us, will forever be very real people. Precious, beautiful people and families,” said Brenda.
In December 2023, the Food and Drug Administration approved two groundbreaking gene therapies for patients with sickle cell disease. Blood and platelet donations are a critical component of these treatments. A single patient with sickle cell disease undergoing gene therapy can require as many as 50 units of blood and up to 25 units of platelets.
Blood and platelet donations are vital in supporting patients with sickle disease undergoing gene therapies and stem cell transplants, as well as those who need regular blood transfusions to alleviate pain and help manage their disease. Schedule a blood donation appointment today by visiting RedCrossBlood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS.
Written by Janie Bohlmann, regional communications manager.