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CHARLOTTE – There's an urgent need for blood donors, especially from minorities.

The American Red Cross said Type O is in the most demand from hospitals. And more than half of African-Americans and Hispanics have Type O blood, making their donations even more dire.
 
Ishia Gattis was diagnosed with sickle cell anemia when she was three-months-old. She receives blood transfusions almost monthly to help her live a normal life.

"When I go in, most the time I'm in a lot of pain,” said Gattis about her trips to the hospital to receive blood transfusions. “I'm just praying they have a match. There's no telling, I may have to wait."

Gattis wrote a book called Meet Camden, to explain the disorder to her oldest child.

"My daughter, she would cry every time I went in the hospital with a pain crisis,” said Gattis. “I just had to explain to her what was going on, on her level."

Some times Gattis, and other sickle-cell patients have to wait until blood banks find a match. That wait can be excruciating.

But with more donors, especially African Americans and Hispanics, patients like Gattis won't have to wait.
 
"For those few people in our population who have those very rare blood types, it is extremely important that we have donors who are coming in who have matching blood types," said Charlotte American Red Cross spokeswoman Kate Meier.

Sickle-cell patients require almost a perfect blood match, or run the risk of painful and dangerous side effects. So their options are limited.

More information about becoming a blood donor, or sickle-cell anemia can be found on these links.