American Red Cross and NAACP announce new documentary honoring the father of blood banking, Dr. Charles R. Drew

The American Red Cross and the NAACP will premiere Iconic Excellence: The Legacy of Dr. Charles R. Drew, a new documentary honoring the father of blood banking, Sept. 18 on the American Red Cross YouTube channel. The short film highlights Drew's revolutionary breakthroughs in blood plasma preservation, which saved hundreds of thousands of lives during World War II and pioneered modern methods for collecting, preserving and distributing blood.

A LEGACY OF EXCELLENCE
Produced by the Red Cross in collaboration with Drew's family, the NAACP and Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc., the documentary offers an intimate portrait of Drew's drive and leadership, tracing his path from his childhood in Washington, D.C., to global prominence as a Black surgeon, educator and champion for inclusivity in medicine. Beyond the science, the film reveals a family man guided by his principles: a scientific stance against the U.S. military's blood segregation policy and a mantra on excellence he instilled in generations of Black surgeons.

"Dr. Drew is an unsung hero of World War II," said NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson. "His innovation made it possible for many American soldiers to come home to their families."

In 1944, while blood segregation was still official policy, the NAACP awarded Dr. Drew the Spingarn Medal for his work in blood plasma research and blood banking. "The Spingarn Medal still today is considered the highest honor that can be bestowed on an African American in this country," said Johnson.

Dr. Drew was 45 when he died in a car accident in 1950. His daughters and grandchildren have spent decades honoring and preserving his legacy ever since. In Iconic Excellence, together on camera for the first time, his family gives that account in full, including answers to questions that have surrounded his legacy: whether he received blood products himself in the hours after the accident, and why he left the Red Cross, long attributed to Drew protesting the blood segregation policy.

"My father's work in training other Black surgeons was uppermost in his mind at the time of his death because he trained a small legion of Black surgeons, who then trained another group of Black surgeons, who then trained another group...whose color wasn't the most important thing," said Dr. Charlene Drew Jarvis, Drew's middle daughter. "It was: are they trained? Do they know? Do they understand? Who are they going to serve?"

CARRYING THE LEGACY FORWARD
Drew's commitment to mobilizing communities to improve health care carries forward today through organizations that host blood drives in support of the Red Cross Sickle Cell Initiative. Working with community partners, the Red Cross has nearly doubled the number of annual blood donors who are Black or African American, an increase of more than 89% since the Sickle Cell Initiative launched in 2021. To date, more than 445,770 donors who are Black or African American have given blood to support patients living with sickle cell disease, with more than 188,000 of them being first-time blood donors.

"Dr. Drew understood something we continue to see every day at the Red Cross: when you meet people where they are and invite them to be part of the mission, they respond," said Chris Hrouda, president of American Red Cross Biomedical Services. "Many first-time blood donors roll up a sleeve because someone helped them understand the impact a single donation can have on a patient in need. That was Dr. Drew's approach 85 years ago, and it remains a powerful way lives are saved today."

Iconic Excellence premieres during Sickle Cell Awareness Month in September. Organizations and community groups can register to host a screening, a blood drive, or both by visiting RedCrossBlood.org/IconicExcellence. To schedule a blood donation appointment, visit RedCrossBlood.org/OurBlood, use the Blood Donor App or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

ABOUT THE FILM
Iconic Excellence tells Dr. Drew's story through his own family and the voices of the NAACP, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc. and the American Red Cross. On-camera voices include Bebe Drew Price, Dr. Charlene Drew Jarvis, Sylvia Drew Ivie, Dr. Kelly Price Noble, Ernie Drew Jarvis; Derrick Johnson, president and CEO of the NAACP; Ricky Lewis, 42nd International President of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc.; Chris Hrouda, president of American Red Cross Biomedical Services; and Dr. Yvette Miller, American Red Cross executive medical officer. Journalist DeMarco Morgan narrates. The film was written and executive produced by Tiffany Taylor and directed by Brad Zerivitz, with cover art by Melissa Koby.

Blood donations critical as new sickle cell treatments bring hope

While new cell-based gene therapies provide groundbreaking treatment options for people battling sickle cell disease in the U.S., blood donations remain critical to helping ensure these medical procedures can be completed.

During Sickle Cell Awareness Month in September, the American Red Cross is hosting over 500 blood drives nationwide and highlighting the vital role of blood donors to support these and other life-changing treatments for patients with this inherited blood disorder. As many as 50 units of blood and up to 25 units of platelets may be needed for a single patient undergoing gene therapy for sickle cell disease.

Blood and platelet donations are vital in supporting patients with sickle cell 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, using the Blood Donor App or calling 1-800-RED CROSS.

"Since the FDA approved these new cell-based gene therapies in December 2023, there has been a lot of excitement in both the sickle cell and medical community about the potential impact on the future health of patients," said Dr. Yvette Miller, executive medical director of the American Red Cross. "However, what's not being discussed is the crucial role blood donors will continue to play. Without their generosity, these treatments simply won't be possible."

Patients undergoing gene therapy will need the support of blood and platelet transfusions before, during and post treatment to ensure the best possible outcome.

Individuals awaiting gene therapy often need ongoing blood transfusions for several months to help maintain stable hemoglobin levels and bone marrow health. They will also undergo stem cell collection as part of their treatment and require red blood cell exchanges, a non-surgical therapy that removes abnormal red blood cells and replaces them with healthy red blood cells obtained from blood donors.

Additionally, after being treated with chemotherapy in preparation for cell infusion, red blood cells and platelet transfusions are needed to help carry oxygen and prevent life-threatening bleeding complications and stroke.

Bone Marrow and Stem Cell Transplants: The Role of Blood Donations
While gene therapy offers hope for the future, accessibility remains limited due to a number of factors including age restrictions, patient health history and cost. Currently, bone marrow (mostly offered in pediatric settings) and stem cell transplants are the only known cures for sickle cell disease. These transplants also depend on the availability of closely matched blood and platelet donations to reduce the risk of transfusion-related complications. For patients with sickle cell disease, blood donors who are Black are almost three times more likely to be a match for the blood most often needed, compared with donors who are not Black or African American.

As sickle cell gene therapies, bone marrow and stem cell treatments evolve, the demand for blood and platelet donations will continue in order to support both for these treatments and for patients who need regular blood transfusions to alleviate pain and help manage the complications of their disease. 

Helping Patients Thrive through the Sickle Cell Initiative
The Red Cross launched its national Sickle Cell Initiative in 2021 to grow the number of blood donors who are Black to help patients with sickle cell disease and improve health outcomes. One in 3 African American blood donors is a match for people with sickle cell disease.

Since the launch of the initiative, the number of first-time African American blood donors giving with the Red Cross has grown to more than 108,000 ­­­­­— helping to strengthen and diversify the blood supply, while reversing the trend of declining donors overall for this group. Additionally, through this work, the Red Cross has provided more than 224,000 sickle cell trait screenings to donors who self-identify as African American, Black or multiracial.

Partnerships with national and local organizations within the Black community remain critical to building trust, sharing information and working together to engage new donors and help save lives. Learn more by visiting RedCrossBlood.org/OurBlood.

Blood Donor Eligibility
A blood donor card or driver's license or two other forms of identification are required at check-in. Individuals who are 17 years of age in most states (16 with parental consent where allowed by state law), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also must meet certain height and weight requirements.

Blood and platelet donors can save time at their next donation by using RapidPass® to complete their pre-donation reading and health history questionnaire online, on the day of their donation, before arriving at the blood drive. To get started, follow the instructions at RedCrossBlood.org/RapidPass or use the Blood Donor App.

Those who come to give Sept. 1-15 will receive an exclusive Red Cross raglan T-shirt, while supplies last. In addition, all who come to give blood Sept. 16-30 will get a $15 e-gift card to their merchant of choice. Visit RedCrossBlood.org/Fall for details.

American Red Cross urges more African Americans to donate blood to sickle cell disease patients

Although this story is part of a push to get Philadelphia residents to attend a blood drive, its message about a lack of African American donors is relevant to both potential donors and those with sickle cell disease.

The American Red Cross is in great need of more African Americans to donate blood, which is a critical need for many patients with sickle cell anemia.

Sickle cell disease affects 100,000 Americans. According to the Centers for Disease Control, it affects one out of every 365 African American births, which is 73% of all cases.