LYNN — The Greater Bethlehem Temple Pentecostal Church and the American Red Cross held a blood drive all day Friday to honor and raise awareness for Sa’ray Harvey, a 6-year-old girl suffering from sickle cell disease.
Lynn resident Schuyler Hogan, Harvey’s cousin, helped organize the blood drive alongside Bishop Anthony Bennett and Solimine Funeral Home Director David Solimine Jr.
Hogan, 25, said his cousin has suffered from sickle cell disease — an inherited blood disorder that affects red blood cells — since birth and has been hospitalized several times throughout her life.
“It was always scary when those emergencies happened as I thought I would never see her again,” Hogan said. “It made me feel hopeless and I wanted to do something about it.”
Solimine, who serves on the Red Cross Board of Directors and Biomedicine community, contacted Hogan and raised the possibility of holding a blood drive with the Red Cross as part of the organization’s sickle-cell initiative.
Hogan agreed and created social-media posts advertising the event at the church.
“We held blood drives before at the Knights of Columbus center and the YMCA, but this is the first blood drive of the Lynn sickle-cell initiative,” Solimine said. “We are doing it not just to honor Sa’ray, but also raise awareness of sickle cell diseases in communities of color.”
The Red Cross launched the sickle-cell initiative in 2021 as a national program to reach more blood donors of color, to help patients with sickle cell disease and improve health outcomes.
The most common form of sickle cell disease is sickle cell anemia — where a mutated form of hemoglobin distorts the red blood cells into a sickle shape with low oxygen levels.
Sickle cell diseases are commonly found in people of African descent, according to the American Red Cross website.
Hogan said 25 people donated blood at the drive on Friday. He, Solimine and Bennett plan to hold another drive in June.
“We are going to use social media to promote the next event,” Hogan said. “I thank those who did come today and for those thinking about it, they should do so. It’s clean and safe to donate.”
Hogan’s sister, Precious Avery, said she was proud of her brother’s initiative to raise awareness and donate blood for their cousin.
“He’s done a great job,” Avery said. “He’s doing the best work he can for Sa’ray.”
Hogan and Avery donated blood at the event and both said they would appear at the second drive.
One of the donors, Deacon Percy Gaskin, said he was happy to participate in the drive and was proud that the church held the event.
“I have donated blood several times before,” Gaskin said. “If you have something inside of you that can help people, why not help them?”
