ORLANDO, Fla. – A race against time is underway to save the life of 18-year-old Gigi Felix, who is battling an aggressive form of sickle cell disease.
Doctors say she urgently needs 50 units of extremely rare, specially matched blood before they can safely move forward with a bone marrow transplant—her best chance at a cure.
Recommended Videos
“I’m just asking for your help, because I really do need it,” Gigi said.
Doctors say the challenge isn’t just finding O-negative blood—it’s finding blood that matches Gigi’s antigen profile, the genetic markers found on red blood cells.
Because Gigi has received countless transfusions over her lifetime, her body has developed antibodies, making most donor blood incompatible.
Gigi’s required antigen profile is most commonly found in people of African descent.
Statistically, doctors say only 1 in 1,000 people of African descent may be a match.
“We need the African American and Afro-Caribbean community to step up to help save Gigi’s life,” said Dr. David Crawford, a pediatric hematologist/oncologist.
OneBlood’s reference laboratory is screening donations 24/7 to identify compatible units and reserve them specifically for Gigi. Some matching units have already been found—but doctors say they still need many more to reach 50.
Without enough compatible blood on hand, doctors say the transplant is too risky to perform.
OneBlood’s reference laboratory is screening donations 24/7 to identify compatible units and reserve them specifically for Gigi. Some matching units have already been found—but doctors say they still need many more to reach 50.
Without enough compatible blood on hand, doctors say the transplant is too risky to perform.
“To me it just seems like my last golden ticket,” Gigi said.
Doctors and OneBlood urge people of African descent to donate as soon as possible—even if they don’t know their blood type.
To be a match for Gigi, donors must:
- Be African American or of African descent
- Be O-negative (only about 7% of the population is O-negative)
Click HERE to find the nearest OneBlood location to you.